MOSCOW, June 4 (RIA Novosti) – US President Barack Obama and Ukrainian President-elect Petro Poroshenko met in Warsaw Wednesday to discuss US help in training Ukrainian military, as well as Ukraine’s energy security, Reuters reported.
Obama said Washington would provide Ukraine with various kinds of assistance, ranging from cooperation on military training to measures aimed at reducing Ukraine’s energy dependence on Russia.
The US pledge came as Ukraine threatens Russia’s energy giant Gazprom to take it to court over what it claims is "unfair" pricing policy.
Kiev continues to insist on the price of $268.5 per 1,000 cubic meters, down from $485.50, which was a new price announced by gazprom in April after Russia annulled two discounts granted previously to the country.
Russia said it would only consider lowering the price of gas to Kiev after it paid off its gas debt of $2.2 billion by June 9, covering overdue bills from November to April at the Ukraine’s preferred price.
Kiev has recently paid Gazprom $786.4 billion, which Ukraine's Energy Minister Yuri Prodan said was the only undisputed part of debt. The European Union’s Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger put Ukraine’s gas debt to Russia at $4 billion, up from the previous figure of $3.5. Gazprom said Ukraine would owe Russia about $5.2 billion by June 7 unless it paid by that date.
