Russia's Gazprom stops gas deliveries to Ukraine
Gazprom received a prepayment for Russian gas supplies in March 2018 from Naftogaz and returned them to the Ukrainian company, due to the absence of an amendment to the contract, Alexander Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian gas holding, told journalists.
"Gazprom has indeed received funds from Naftogaz of Ukraine to pay for March deliveries of gas. However, as they say, an egg is dearest at Easter. Today an additional agreement to the existing contract with the state-run JSC Naftogaz of Ukraine to begin gas supplies has not been finalized. Therefore, we, acting in good faith, have returned the funds received from Naftogaz of Ukraine in full," he noted.
Medvedev explained that deliveries as of 1 March will not be made.
"Obviously, no gas supplies will be provided to Naftogaz of Ukraine as of March 1st," he said.
Ukraine has suspended Russian gas purchases since November 25, 2015.
In December 2017, the Stockholm Arbitration Tribunal ordered Naftogaz to buy 5 billion cubic meters of gas per year from Gazprom as part of the decision made to settle the case between the two companies over the price of Russian gas.