Russia will switch to an advance gas payment system with Ukraine in one month if Kyiv does not begin making payments, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during his hotline.
“We are prepared to tolerate more; we’ll tolerate [this] for a month.
If no payments are made within the month, then in accordance with the
contract, we will switch to a so called advance payment,” he said.
Putin said that in his talks with western partners, including
Germany, he had said: “We are not insisting on immediate payments; we
understand Ukraine’s difficulties.”
“But we are asking you [western partners] to get involved in this
work with us; we are asking you to take part in saving the Ukrainian
economy. What do we see now in the U.S.? They have promised a billion
[to Ukraine]. A billion what? Guarantees. This is not money; it’s
guarantees to the banks that will give money to Ukraine. Where are these
banks? There’s no one yet,” Putin said.
