Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said on Tuesday the transit fee for Russian natural gas must be increased much more than the earlier reached accords.
"We must switch to an exclusively market formula of pricing for the transit of Russian gas across Ukraine," Yushchenko said.
Russia currently pays $1.7 per 1,000 cubic meters per 100 km as gas transit fee while Ukraine makes payment to Russian energy giant Gazprom for natural gas supplies at a discount of 20% of European prices.
Yushchenko, however, said on Tuesday that the market formula must increase the transit rate for Russia from $1.7 to $4.5-$5.5 per 1,000 cubic meters per 100 km.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Yulia Tymoshenko agreed last week in Ukraine's Crimea that Ukraine would increase the gas transit fee for Russia by 60% starting from next year while Ukraine's national energy company Naftogaz would pay for Russian natural gas supplies without a 20% discount.
West-leaning Yushchenko, who was brought to power as a result of the 2004 "Orange revolution," is struggling to reach double figures in opinion polls as he has joined the race to participate in the presidential elections scheduled for January 17.
Russia, which supplies around one quarter of Europe's gas, briefly shut down supplies via Ukraine's pipeline system at the start of the year amid a dispute of unpaid bills and new prices.
The conflict was resolved in January, when Putin and Tymoshenko reached a deal on imports and transit for 2009.
Ukraine transits around 80% of Russia's Europe-bound gas.
KIEV, November 24 (RIA Novosti)
