Ukraine believes that the fair price for the purchases of Russian natural gas should be standing at $230 per 1,000 cubic meters, Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuriy Boyko told country’s TV channel Inter on Saturday.
The minister said Ukraine pays $355 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas during the third quarter of this year and the price is expected to rise to some $400 in the fourth quarter.
Ukraine, he said, is currently buying the Russian gas at a higher price comparing to other European countries and the figure of $230 was calculated in line with the price that Germany pays Russia, minus transit fees across the Ukrainian territory.
The 10-year gas export contract with Russia, signed in 2009, ties the price for gas to oil prices, which have been rising recently boosting Ukraine’s bill. Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko is now on trial for signing the deal, and Kiev is at pains to revise it.
Boyko also said that the current gas disagreements between Russia and Ukraine would not disrupt Russian gas deliveries during the coming winter like it happened in January of 2009.
Ukraine transits around 80% of Russia’s Europe-bound gas. Russia, which supplies around one fifth of Europe’s gas, briefly shut down supplies via Ukraine’s pipeline system at the start of 2009 during a dispute with Kiev over unpaid debt.