Ukraine will pay for the Russian gas on time, nevertheless, the country's leadership believes that the export contract is "disadvantageous", Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said on Saturday.
"The gas contracts are disadvantageous, but we fulfill them, pay, transits gas and will pay until we manage to change the contract," Azaroz said at a press conference.
Ukraine believes that the fair price for the purchases of Russian natural gas should be standing at $230 per 1,000 cubic meters, Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuriy Boyko told country's TV channel Inter earlier on Saturday.
The minister said Ukraine pays $355 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas during the third quarter of this year and the price is expected to rise to some $400 in the fourth quarter.
Ukraine, Boyko said, is currently buying the Russian gas at a higher price comparing to other European countries and the figure of $230 was calculated in line with the price that Germany pays Russia, minus transit fees across the Ukrainian territory.
The 10-year gas export contract with Russia, signed in 2009, ties the price for gas to oil prices, which have been rising recently boosting Ukraine's bill. Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko is now on trial for signing the deal, and Kiev is at pains to revise it.
Ukraine transits around 80% of Russia's Europe-bound gas. Russia, which supplies around one fifth of Europe's gas, briefly shut down supplies via Ukraine's pipeline system at the start of 2009 during a dispute with Kiev over unpaid debt.
