MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia is ready to give Ukraine a gas discount for two quarters, and the price will be comparable to that of gas deliveries to Poland, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Friday.
Earlier in the day, the Russian energy minister held talks on gas deliveries to Ukraine with Vice President of the European Commission Maros Sefcovic.
"We believe we have managed to reach an agreement on a so-called winter package from October 1 to March 31," Novak told reporters following talks with EU energy chief.
Russia will make a final decision on a Ukraine gas discount taking into account spot gas prices in the European Union, he said.
The European Union receives around one third of its gas from Russia, over 40 percent of which the bloc receives via Ukraine.
In late June, trilateral talks on Russian gas supplies to Ukraine convened in Austria a day before second quarter deliveries, priced with a $100 per 1,000 cubic meters discount, were due to expire.
Ukraine ceased all purchases of gas from Russian energy company Gazprom after Kiev and Moscow were unable to reach an agreement on gas deliveries for the third quarter of 2015 despite a Russian proposal for a new gas price discount.
A new round of gas talks between Ukraine, Russia and the European Commission could be held at the end of September, according to the Russian Energy Ministry.
