DONETSK, November 5 (RIA Novosti) – Kiev is ready to deliver gas and electricity to the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR, LPR), but will seek financial compensation after regaining control over the region, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said Wednesday.
"We will deliver gas and electricity there. At the same time, I officially state that as soon as we re-establish control over these territories, the costs of the gas and electricity that we will deliver to the Donetsk and Luhansk regions now, which are temporarily out of central government control, will be subtracted from funds intended for social benefits and subsidies," he said during a Cabinet meeting.
Last week, Yatsenyuk threatened to cut off the gas supply to the regions, which are outside of Kiev's control.
The DPR and LNR refuse to recognize the new Kiev authorities that came to power in Ukraine after a February coup. Both republics declared their sovereignty, based on the results of the referendums held in May.
On November 2, the DPR and the LPR held elections for the heads of local governments and representatives of the legislative bodies, which Kiev has called illegitimate.
