WASHINGTON, October 29 (RIA Novosti) – The European Union (EU) should lend Ukraine money to pay its gas debt, instead of paying it off directly, an energy security scholar with The Brookings Institution Tim Boersma told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.
Ukraine's gas debt with Gazprom is $4.5 billion, according to Russian energy giant press release published in June.
"I personally do not think that the EU should pay the gas debt of Ukraine. But perchance it can help by lending the Ukraine money so that it can make arrangements with Gazprom, and Gazprom feels secure that this time it will actually receive the money," an expert said.
"Resumption of natural gas flow could not work out if Russia is not satisfied with the payment guarantees provided by Ukraine," Boersma added.
In September, Russia and the European Commission proposed what is referred to as the "winter plan," according to which Ukraine should pay $3.1 billion of the debt to Russia by the end of the year in exchange for gas deliveries during the winter period.
Following trilateral Russia-Ukraine-EU talks in Brussels on October 21, Ukraine agreed to a temporary price of $385 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas for the winter. The negotiating parties are expected to hold a final round of gas talks on Wednesday in Brussels.
