Ukraine to cut gas imports from Russia

Ukraine would further reduce the amount of natural gas it imports from Russia this year, an energy official said here Tuesday. "This year, we will import 18 to 20 billion cubic meters of gas. We have already told Gazprom beforehand about it," Deputy Chairman Vadim Chuprun of Ukraine's Naftogaz energy firm said at the press conference. Ukraine will not feel a lack of fuel because it has sufficient gas reserves after the relatively warm winter, Chuprun said. Ukraine imported around 33 billion cubic meters of Russian gas in 2012, down 27 percent from the year before. Under a contract between Naftogaz and Gazprom, Ukraine agreed to buy 52 billion cubic meters of Russian gas per year, or pay for a minimum of 80 percent of that volume, regardless of the actual amount taken. Last month, Russia demanded that Ukraine pay 7 billion U.S. dollars for failing to import the contracted amount of gas.