Ukraine confirms May gas cost to Russia

Moscow, June 8 (Xinhua Zhao Zhipeng) Gazprom 8th confirmed that the Ukrainian oil and gas company has paid the full amount of the Russian gas costs used in May, a total of about 500 million U.S. dollars, Russia and Ukraine gas dispute temporarily eased. Russia supplied 2.3 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Ukraine in May. According to the agreement reached earlier this year by Gazprom and the Ukrainian Oil and Gas Corporation, the Ukrainian side should settle the cost of the gas purchase last month at the latest 7th. In the event of arrears in the purchase of gas, Russia has the right thereafter to request the Ukrainian side advance 100% of the purchase of gas.　　Due to the 6th and 7th of this month as a rest day, the payment deadline can be extended to 9th. In the first few months of this year, Ukraine in full time to pay to Russia for the cost of gas, but recently because of the economic situation has worsened, the Ukrainian side expressed inability to continue to pay for the purchase of gas. Russia and Ukraine have failed to negotiate many times. The European Union has also rejected a proposal by Russia for co-financing Ukraine on the basis of budgetary constraints. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin recently warned that if Ukraine does not pay for the gas, Russia may be forced to suspend gas supply to European consumers by the end of the month.　　A new round of gas crisis is on the verge. Analysts here believe that the Russian-Ukrainian gas pay issue is only temporarily eased, "alarm" has not been lifted. If Ukraine's economic situation does not take a fundamental turn for the better, it will face the problem every month. In addition, Ukraine has had to inject billions of cubic metres of natural gas into the underground gas depots in recent months to ensure that Russian gas is transported to European users in transit. The larger cost is not yet available. So it will be some time before Russia and Ukraine fully resolve the issue of gas payments.