"This is a lot of money for any state and for any company, including Gazprom," Medvedev told Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller on Thursday, Vesti-24 reported.
Gazprom may raise the price it charges Ukraine for gas to more than $400 per 1,000 cubic meters from Jan. 1, Miller told Medvedev, according to e-mailed comments from Gazprom.
All the necessary documents for a long-term contract are ready on the corporate side, Miller said.
Ukraine should either pay the debt voluntarily or be forced to clear it, Medvedev said.
State energy firm Naftogaz Ukrainy said, however, that its debt to RosUkrEnergo, a Russian-Ukraine intermediary gas trader co-owned by Gazprom, does not exceed $1.3 billion.
"Today, our debt, with all of the nuances taken into account, is $1.26 to $1.27 billion. ?€¦ We are buying all the gas from RosUkrEnergo, so we do not have any debts to Gazprom," Vladimir Trikolich, Naftogaz's deputy head, told reporters.
Ukraine imports about 55 billion cubic meters of gas annually, buying most of it from RosUkrEnergo.
Bloomberg, Reuters
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.