Ukraine: Gas Debts Paid after Deal Signed

Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said on Thursday that Ukraine's position at three-way talks in Brussels was that the price of Russian natural gas should be $378 per 1,000 cubic metres by the end of 2014 and fall to $365 in the first quarter of 2015.

Yatseniuk told a government meeting that Kiev was ready to pay off debts for previously supplied gas immediately after any deal was signed.

A total of $1.45 billion would be paid immediately and a further $1.65 billion would be paid by the end of the year, he said.

Energy officials from Ukraine, Russia and the European Commission are holding talks in Brussels in a bid to unblock gas supply to Ukraine, which Russian gas exporter Gazprom cut off in June citing unpaid bills.

Reporting by Pavel Polityuk