Russian energy giant Gazprom warned Friday that it could halt natural gas supplies to Ukraine at 10:00 a.m. [7 a.m. GMT] on February 12, if Kiev failed to settle the debt issue. Ukraine owes Russia a total of $1.5 billion for gas deliveries, including an overdue debt of $500 million.
Ivanov said he hoped the issue would be resolved and Ukraine would repay its gas debt.
The bulk of Russia's gas supplies to the European Union, which account for one quarter of the 27-nation bloc's consumption, runs through Ukraine. A gas pricing dispute with Ukraine at the start of 2006 prompted Russia to briefly cut off supplies to the country. Europe-bound exports were also affected.
In December, Gazprom and Ukraine agreed that a mixture of Russian and cheaper Turkmen gas sold via the intermediary firm will cost $179.5 per 1,000 cu m in 2008. But RosUkrEnergo, which is the sole supplier of gas to Ukraine and is half-owned by Russian energy giant Gazprom, later said it will sell Russian gas to Ukraine in January-March for $314 per 1,000 cu m to cover a shortfall in Central Asian supplies.
