WASHINGTON, October 29 (RIA Novosti) — Additional descussions between Russia, Ukraine, and the European Union might be required to reach a gas agreement after Brussels trilateral talks, the director of East European Gas Analysis consulting firm Mikhail Korchemkin has told RIA Novosti.
"The parties are likely to get closer to a compromise, though they may need another meeting or two," Korchemkin said Tuesday.
"The gas supply situation is more complicated than in the previous Russian-Ukrainian conflicts," he added.
Russia and Ukraine are scheduled to hold a new round of gas talks, mediated by the European Commission, in Brussels on Wednesday, October 29. The meeting follows the trilateral discussions in Brussels on October 21, where Ukraine had agreed to the temporary price of $385 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas during winter.
Korchemkin noted that the price is higher than the average price of Gazprom exports, it can be accompanied by a very low take-or-pay limit and by lifting the condition of prepayment.
"All parties need to show some flexibility and ability to compromise," he said.
Russian energy giant Gazprom switched Kiev to a prepayment system for gas supplies in June over Ukraine's gas debt of more than $5 billion.
In September, Russia and the European Commission proposed the so-called winter package, according to which Ukraine should pay $3.1 billion of its debt to Russia by the end of the year in exchange for gas deliveries during the winter period.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Wednesday that the compromise on gas deliveries is "most likely" to be reached at the upcoming talks.
On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed hope that a temporary agreement to end a long-running gas dispute with Ukraine would be reached as early as next week.
