Ukraine's debt for Russian gas has not yet created risks for the gas transit to Europe, Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview with Reuters on Thursday, the press service of the Russian government reports.
Asked whether there would be a reduction in gas supplies to Ukraine, he replied: "No. In this sense I think that for now everything is okay ... I don't expect any complications."
"We understand that they have economic difficulties, but they still have to pay, especially after we gave them loans and financed transit," Medvedev said, adding the transit fees cost billions of dollars.
"It's the law - you have to pay for delivered goods. It's normal practice around the world. Let them pay."
The Russian Prime Minister said he saw no reason for Moscow to cut gas supplies to Ukraine over an unpaid bill for now, playing down talk of an imminent "gas war" that might disrupt gas flows to Europe.
Medvedev said if Ukraine signed the agreement with the European Union at a summit on Nov. 28-29, Brussels could then foot the bill, denying Russian pressure over the unpaid bill was connected to Kyiv's choice of closer ties with the West.
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