Gazprom to decide on Tuesday whether to impose 100% prepayment on Ukraine for arrears
Ukraine has violated the payment schedule for gas deliveries, and after almost a month of delay Gazprom is facing the decision of whether to impose 100% prepayment on the country as envisioned in the 2009 contract.
"We have this possibility under the contract to do this quickly, because today, it appears, Alexei Borisovich [Miller, Gazprom's CEO] will be in the office, [and] we will be considering this subject," deputy Gazprom chief Alexander Medvedev told the press on Tuesday.
Asked if the nonpayment 'crisis' would affect gas transit to Europe, Medvedev he had yet to receive all of the information associated with the situation.
"But it's obvious that Ukraine is not meeting its obligations in paying for gas. They were provided with financial assistance in the form of prepayment for transit, and a deferral of payment [of $882 million for gas received in August] was given until October 1, and there was a special delivery of five billion cubic meters of gas at a special price. And, despite all these extraordinary measures, we have still not been paid for August's gas," he said.
