Ukraine may charge more for Russian gas transit

Ukraine told Russia on Wednesday it may charge more for Russian gas transit to Europe if Russia sharply increases gas prices for Kyiv, raising the prospect of another major gas dispute between the two states, according to Reuters.

"It is important for us to use our arguments as one of the top gas transit states during talks . The changes in gas prices should no doubt be linked to our arguments about the levels of transit fees via Ukraine," Economy Minister Anatoly Kinakh told reporters.

Russia`s gas export monopoly Gazprom said on Tuesday it had agreed to pay 30 to 50 percent more for Turkmen gas imports next year, which is likely to result in tough negotiations on pricing between Russia and Ukraine, a major consumer of Turkmen gas.