MOSCOW, December 31 (RIA Novosti) - President Vladimir Putin has instructed the government and natural gas giant Gazprom to provide gas supplies to Ukraine in the first quarter of next year in the 2005 prices if Ukraine signs a contract on transition to market prices in the second quarter of next year, before January 1.
"I instruct the government and Gazprom to provide gas supplies to Ukraine in the first quarter of 2006 on the same conditions and in the same prices as in 2005, if Ukrainian partners sign a contract based on Gazprom's proposal to transfer to market prices in the second quarter, before January 1," Putin said Saturday at a conference with Security Council officials, attended by Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller.
"If no clear answer follows, we will conclude that our proposal has been rejected," Putin added.
During the conference, Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov and Miller reported to the president about the situation around gas supplies and transit to Ukraine.
"I can see that the position of the government and Gazprom is quite tough," the head of state said.
However, Putin said Ukraine "is not some abstract boss or oil and gas barons who will see to their interests this or either way."
"They are our fraternal nation, and we should think about our relations in a complex," Putin said.
