Russian gas producer Gazprom says it has resumed supplies to Ukraine after a six-month suspension over a dispute about prices and unpaid debts.<br /><br /> The announcement confirms an earlier statement by Ukraine’s gas transport monopoly, Ukrtransgaz. <br /><br /> Gas flows from Russia to Ukraine were halted in June after Kyiv rejected Gazprom’s price rises.<br /><br /> It led to fears elsewhere in Europe that supplies via Ukraine to other countries might be disrupted during the winter.<br /><br /> However, after several rounds of negotiations, Russia, Ukraine and the European Union reached an initial agreement in October over settling Kyiv’s unpaid debt and over payment arrangements until next March.<br /><br /> The Ukrainian national gas company Naftogaz said at the weekend that it had made advance payments of over 300 million euros for nearly a billion cubic metres of Russian gas.<br /><br /> Ukraine settled part of its debt in November but the two countries disagree over the total amount owed.<br /><br /> Russia estimates Kyiv’s debt to be worth around 4.3 billion euros, but has agreed to submit a disputed 1.8 billion euros to a court of arbitration.
