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Novo-Ogaryovo, January 5 (Interfax-Ukraine) - Russia will do its utmost to compensate Western Europe for the gas Ukraine has been diverting from the transit pipeline system, including the purchase of gas on the derivatives market, but Ukrainian NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy will have to pay for this, said Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller

"We will buy the lacking amount of gas on the derivatives market to compensate for undersupplies, or actually for the theft of Russian gas booked for our Western buyers on the Ukrainian territory," Miller said at a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Monday.

Asked by Putin who "will pay for the gas that is being siphoned off from the pipeline," Miller replied, "Naftogaz Ukrainy will have to do this."

Gazprom "will do all it can to compensate for this amount of gas using alternative ways," Miller said. "In particular, Russian gas supplies through Belarus and Poland and also through the Blue Stream pipeline system will be increased," he said.

In addition, "we will do all we can to increase the withdrawal of gas from underground storage facilities in Western Europe," which Gazprom had pumped there earlier, he said