You're reading: Azarov: Ukraine trying hard to agree with Russia on new gas price, much depends on Russian leaders

Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has said that the successful completion of the gas talks with Russia is his priority task. 

An Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reported from Sevastopol on Friday that, according to the PM, trade between Ukraine and Russia has dropped by 25% recently, as “Ukrainian plants cannot supply pipes, confectionary products, railcars and many other products, on which workplaces, wages, and pension fund revenues depend.”

“It is clear that under such conditions, reaching agreement with the Russian leadership is a priority task for us,” Azarov said.

Azarov said the Ukrainian administration is doing everything to generally improve relations with Russia.

“I’ll be frank. It’s not our fault that we have failed to reach agreements to reduce the unprofitable price on gas in all these years. We pay the highest price on gas in the world,” he said.

Azarov also said he has brought up this issue in a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, saying that Ukraine buys Russian gas for $500 per 1,000 cubic meters on the Russian border “and gas from Europe, which has gone 3,000 kilometers, costs less.”

“Is it not absurd? Are these market conditions? No, these are not market conditions. It’s the treachery that was once perpetrated by Tymoshenko,” Azarov said.

Azarov said Gazprom has given discounts for gas to all its consumers in Europe except for Ukraine.

“Why is that?” he said.

Azarov reiterated that the Ukrainian administration would continue working on resolving the gas supply issue.

“However, a lot depends on the Russian leadership,” he said.