The Zanukovzch loan was off the table at gas talks, Novak says / Photo from UNIAN
At the same time, Russia will insist that Ukraine pay off a US$3 billion "debt" on eurobonds, the so-called "Yanukovych loan".
Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak says once a new agreement with Ukraine is signed on the extension of gas transit, Russia's Gazprom gas monopoly will have its assets in Europe unfrozen.
"Before December 29, a settlement will be signed, all claims will be withdrawn, all arrests will be lifted from Gazprom's assets in Europe. Thus, we will annul all mutual judicial claims, as planned," he said in an interview with the Russian news agency RBC.
At the same time, Russia will insist that Ukraine pay off a US$3 billion "debt" on eurobonds, the so-called "Yanukovych loan". According to the Russian minister, the issue was not raised during gas negotiations with Kyiv.
"These are two different topics. And we did not touch on the issue at gas talks. We discussed debt settlement between Gazprom and Naftogaz only. However, the topic of eurobonds remains on the table. Russia pursues with recovering this debt," Novak said.
Read alsoUK Supreme Court postpones judgment on so-called "Yanukovych loan" until 2020
As UNIAN reported earlier, on December 21, following trilateral negotiations in the Ukraine-EU-Russia format, Minister of Energy and Environmental Protection Oleksiy Orzhel stated that the parties had concluded a protocol that provided for the implementation of a number of agreements.
In particular, a new contract for the transit of Russian gas to Europe via Ukraine will be concluded for a period of five years with the possibility of its extension for ten years.
Naftogaz by year-end will have received from Russia's Gazprom about $2.9 billion in monetary compensation in line with the Stockholm arbitration award, given that the agreements reached during the negotiations are fulfilled.