MOSCOW, November 1 (RIA Novosti) — Russia's energy giant Gazprom is ready to start gas supplies to Ukraine if Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz fulfills its commitments prescribed by the Brussels protocol, a spokesperson for Gazprom Sergei Kupriyanov said Saturday.
"Gazprom is ready to start gas deliveries to Ukraine after Ukraine's Naftogaz fulfills its commitments fixed in the [Brussels] protocol," Kupriyanov said.
"The government has just signed a decree on export tariffs discount on gas supplies to Ukraine. This way, Russia has fulfilled the condition prescribed in the trilateral Brussels protocol. As of November 1, 2014 till March 31, 2015 Ukraine will be granted a discount of $100 off the gas price according to the formula fixed in the 2009 contract between Gazprom and Naftogaz," he added.
According to the decree signed by the Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev earlier on Saturday, a discount of $100 will apply if the price for 1,000 cubic meters of gas stands at $333.3 and more. Should the price be less than $333.3, the discount will form only 30 percent of the price.
On October 31, Alexei Miller, the head of the Russian energy giant Gazprom, pledged that Russia is ready to turn on the gas tap within 48 hours after Kiev makes the prepayment.
After months of talks, Russia, Ukraine and the European Union signed the so-called "winter package" agreement on gas deliveries on Thursday. Gazprom and Naftogaz also signed an addendum to the contract, securing conditions for gas deliveries until March 2015.
Ukraine agreed to pay $3.1 billion of its more than $5 billion debt to Gazprom until the end of the year and to purchase 4 billion cubic meters of gas on prepayment terms.
