If Ukraine does not pay to Gazprom on June invoice, gas supply to be restricted on June 3

If Ukraine does not pay to Russian energy giant Gazprom on an invoice for gas supply in June, gas delivery amount will be restricted on June 3, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said at a government meeting chaired by President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.

“An invoice is forwarded to our Ukrainian partners for June. The payment deadline is set until June 2. If Ukraine does not make a money transfer, gas supplies to Ukraine will be restricted starting from 10.00 am on June 3,” Miller said.

Ukraine is taking maximum gas amounts in May, total gas supplies will make 3.5 billion cubic meters in May,  Miller said.

“Ukraine is taking maximum contracted daily amounts in the course of May, gas supply amounts make 3.5 billion cubic meters in May. The cost of gas supplies in May will reach around $1.7 billion,” Miller said.

Putin hopes Russia will not need to switch to advance payment

Russian President Vladimir Putin hopes that Russia will not have to introduce advance payment for gas supply to Ukraine.

“I hope that we will not face a situation when we will have to switch to advance payment,” the president said at a meeting with government members on Wednesday.

In Putin’s view, Russia’s position on gas supply for Ukraine “is not just partnership, but more than friendly."

Putin instructed Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to determine on which terms Russia will deliver gas to Ukraine in the future, if Kiev pays theamassed debts.

“If those terms on which we agreed with our partners are fulfilled and if payments start in those amounts that we agreed upon, then the Russian government should decide what they will be prepared to do in further cooperation in the gas sphere with our partners in Ukraine,” Putin said.