Ukraine, Russia to restart gas talks over the weekend: Source

A view of outdoor reservoirs and pipelines at the Bilche-Volytsko-Uherske underground gas storage facility, the largest in Europe, not far from the village of Bilche village, in the Lviv region of western Ukraine, on May 21, 2014. Ukraine and Ru
A view of outdoor reservoirs and pipelines at the Bilche-Volytsko-Uherske underground gas storage facility, the largest in Europe, not far from the village of Bilche village, in the Lviv region of western Ukraine, on May 21, 2014. Ukraine and Russia will restart gas talks over the weekend to try to resolve a dispute over price and Kiev is considering paying off debts for last year's Russian supplies, a government source in Kiev said on Friday, June 6, 2014. -- PHOTO: AFP

KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine and Russia will restart gas talks over the weekend to try to resolve a dispute over price and Kiev is considering paying off debts for last year's Russian supplies, a government source in Kiev said on Friday.

"The talks will continue on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. We expect to come up with a decision on Tuesday," the source told Reuters, adding that the Ukrainian leadership may pay off it gas debts for 2013.

The two sides differ on how much is owed by Ukrainian state energy company Naftogaz. Ukraine has said its debt for 2013 and 2014 as of April 1 stood at US$2.2 billion (S$2.8 billion). It paid US$786 million last week.

Russia's top natural gas producer Gazprom declined to comment.

Ukraine has to pay off its debts to Gazprom by Tuesday, June 10, or Russia has threatened to cut off gas supplies to the neighbouring country, a move that could threaten flows to the European Union.

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