Gazprom stands firm on Ukraine gas sales

Russian gas exporter Gazprom said it would not meet Kiev’s demand to cut the contracted volumes of gas it supplies to Ukraine this year. Ukrainian authorities are insisting that Russian gas imports should be cut to 27bnm3 this year from an estimated 40bnm3 last year. However, the Russian export monopoly has said this level is too low.

“According to the contract, a change in annual volumes cannot exceed 20 percent. In 2012, as everyone knows, the contractual supply volume stands at 52 bcm and cannot be cut to 27 bcm even in theory,” Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said.

The two countries have been in talks for months on gas prices, which Ukraine sees as too high. In addition, the ownership of the Ukraine’s cherished pipeline system is also subject of negotiations. Before the launch of the Nord Stream project in November last year, 80% of Russia’s gas exports to Europe were shipped through the system.