Russia’s proposal of a $100 reduction in the price for 1,000 cubic meters of gas does not appeal to Ukraine, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said on Wednesday, RIA Novosti reports.“The Russians have proposed giving a $100 discount on the gas price…[we are aware that] the reduction is established by the decision of the Russian government, and the government can withdraw this decision, this is the reason why our position was and remains the same: changing the 2009 contract,” RIA Novosti quotes Yatsenyuk as saying. The minister added that Ukraine is ready to pay off all its gas debts at the market price fixed by Kiev at the level of $268 per 1,000 cubic meters. He also said that Kiev’s position remains unchanged. Kiev was given until June 10 to repay at least $4 billion of its debt for gas supplies to Moscow, after Russia postponed the original deadline of June 2 twice — first by one week and then by adding an extra day on the grounds of Monday being a public holiday in Ukraine.
