Ukraine's allies urged to help pay its debt

Ukraine's allies urged to help pay its debt

Russia's TASS news agency is at the same time reporting that the German chancellor said funds need to be found to provide loans and guarantee gas supplies to Ukraine.

During her one-day working visit to Slovakia, Merkel said there were efforts to provide loans in order to overcome the situation, and that the EU wished to, "while it's still possible, find concrete solutions" - but that "further negotiations were needed."

Fico, whose country heavily relies on Russian gas and has been sending some to Ukraine on EU's orders, said that the Slovak part of the responsibilities was to provide reverse supplies to Ukraine - but that "nothing will work if Ukraine is waiting for everyone, except itself, to solve its problems."

A trilateral meeting on the gas issue between Russia, Ukraine and the EU will be held on Wednesday in Brussels.

Participants in the negotiations should determine conditions of an interim agreement for Russian natural gas supplies to Ukraine, the PRIME agency said.

A lack of agreement would put into question the stability of Russian gas supplies to EU countries, transported in transit through Ukraine, due to the high probability that the country would "take" gas during the winter season in order to meet its own needs, according to the Russian news agency.

The report recalls that the gas dispute with Ukraine was one of the main topics in Milan on October 17.

After that meeting Russian and Ukrainian delegations pointed out that "elements of a compromise had emerged," with confirmation expected at tomorrow's talks - namely, that Ukraine will pay USD 1.45 billion to settle its debt through October and USD 1.65 billion more by the end of 2014.

In addition, the agency said, a provisional price of USD 385 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters of gas was agreed on, which should be paid in advance during the winter.