The price Ukraine pays for natural gas from Russia may become clear on Tuesday evening or on Wednesday, Oleksandr Yefremov, the leader of the Party of Regions' parliamentary faction, said at a briefing in Kyiv on Dec. 16.
The price will be disclosed when the relevant protocols are signed by Russian Gazprom and Naftogaz Ukrainy in Moscow on Dec. 17.
“There is a protocol drawn up for signing by Gazprom and Naftogaz
Ukrainy, because those are the business organizations directly
concerned. These protocols include the question of the price of gas,”
Yefremov said, adding that they do not currently specify a price.
At the same time, he said: “The price will be decided in the context
of the signing directly by the sides, who will agree the price.”
Yefremov said the approach to determining the price is that it should
not be higher than the price paid in Europe, should reckon with
previous agreements and that it “must take into account gas
transportation through Ukraine.”
“By all appearances, the business organizations will reach agreement on these terms,” he said.
Naftogaz Ukrainy currently pays about $410 per 1,000 cubic meters for
Russian gas, including the discount of $100 per 1,000 cubic meters
provided by Russia for extending the lease to the Black Sea Fleet’s base
in Crimea. Ukraine believes $300 per 1,000 cubic meters is a reasonable
price.
