OREANDA-NEWS. Andriy Kobolyev, the CEO of state energy company Naftogaz of Ukraine, said that Kiev has claims against Russian corporation Gazprom for 22 billion US dollars, and that counter measures from Russia on comparable amounts are needed to reset them.

In mid-October, Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller stated that in order to conclude a new gas transit contract, all legal disputes should be fully resolved. Vladimir Putin spoke in a similar way: he considered the claims presented to Gazprom in the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce to be absurd and stated that it was necessary to nullify all claims on both sides.

“The Russian side offers Naftogaz to “nullify” almost 3 billion dollars according to the Stockholm decision and abandon the claim for 12 billion dollars. In addition, the Anti-monopoly Committee of Ukraine proposes to refuse a fine of about 7 billion dollars. Totally: 22 billion dollars… I’m seeking in the proposals voiced in the media for the reciprocal steps of Russia for comparable amounts and don’t find them. Does it really look like the “nullification” of mutual claims?” Kobolyev wrote on his Facebook page on November 5.

Earlier on Tuesday, Yuriy Vitrenko, the Director for Business Development of Naftogaz of Ukraine, announced that the company was still ready to reduce the amount of claims against Gazprom from 12 billion to 2 billion dollars if gas transit continues in 2020 and income from it remains at the current level.

Transit contracts between Naftogaz and Gazprom expire at the end of 2019. The parties are negotiating the extension or conclusion of new agreements, but there is still no result.