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| Russia Gives Ukraine More Time to Pay for Natural Gas | Russia Gives Ukraine More Time to Pay for Natural Gas |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| MOSCOW — Russia’s state-controlled energy giant, Gazprom, on Monday pushed back by a week its ultimatum to Ukraine to pay in advance for natural gas or face a shutoff. It also lowered its asking price, signaling a softening of its stance in the two countries’ pipeline politics. | MOSCOW — Russia’s state-controlled energy giant, Gazprom, on Monday pushed back by a week its ultimatum to Ukraine to pay in advance for natural gas or face a shutoff. It also lowered its asking price, signaling a softening of its stance in the two countries’ pipeline politics. |
| Gazprom’s decision followed an easing in tensions between Russia and Ukraine in diplomatic and military matters and was the clearest indication yet that Moscow’s economic pressure, at least in the short term, would let up now as well. | Gazprom’s decision followed an easing in tensions between Russia and Ukraine in diplomatic and military matters and was the clearest indication yet that Moscow’s economic pressure, at least in the short term, would let up now as well. |
| Ukraine has been highly dependent on Russian gas, giving the Kremlin powerful leverage over Kiev. But Gazprom is constrained in what it can do by falling spot gas prices on the European market and new pipeline policies in Eastern Europe that are opening up alternative sources of gas for Ukraine. | |
| Further improving the atmosphere, the Ukrainian state oil and gas company, Naftogaz, made a partial payment Monday of $786 million to Gazprom for gas already delivered. | Further improving the atmosphere, the Ukrainian state oil and gas company, Naftogaz, made a partial payment Monday of $786 million to Gazprom for gas already delivered. |
| Gazprom’s chief executive, Aleksei B. Miller, said that in light of that, the deadline for prepayment on future deliveries was moved to June 9 from June 2. | |
| Gazprom also offered a concession on price, with Mr. Miller telling reporters in Moscow that its asking price would be lowered to $385 per 1,000 cubic meters from $485, putting it on a par with price levels in Europe. | Gazprom also offered a concession on price, with Mr. Miller telling reporters in Moscow that its asking price would be lowered to $385 per 1,000 cubic meters from $485, putting it on a par with price levels in Europe. |
| The price had risen in March after Russia annexed Crimea and imposed an export tariff that had been waived as a form of payment for the lease of the Black Sea fleet there. In response to the reimposition of the export tariff, Ukraine had ceased all payments on its natural gas bills, prompting Gazprom to threaten to cut off all shipments on June 3. | The price had risen in March after Russia annexed Crimea and imposed an export tariff that had been waived as a form of payment for the lease of the Black Sea fleet there. In response to the reimposition of the export tariff, Ukraine had ceased all payments on its natural gas bills, prompting Gazprom to threaten to cut off all shipments on June 3. |
| Many countries in south and central Europe receive their gas through pipelines running through Ukraine, so they are inevitably threatened by any cuts in supplies from Russia. That danger seems to have lifted, at least for now. | |
| Jonathan Stern, an authority on the European natural gas market at the Oxford Institute of Energy Studies, said in a telephone interview that Ukraine and Russia appear headed toward a resolution. “I think we’re now on conciliatory territory, to the extent that’s possible.” | Jonathan Stern, an authority on the European natural gas market at the Oxford Institute of Energy Studies, said in a telephone interview that Ukraine and Russia appear headed toward a resolution. “I think we’re now on conciliatory territory, to the extent that’s possible.” |
| Publicly, Russia has been stepping back from confrontation with Ukraine and the West, though possibly only after assessing that the insurgency that the Russian government seems to be fostering in eastern Ukraine has enough momentum to continue without overt support that would risk further economic sanctions. | Publicly, Russia has been stepping back from confrontation with Ukraine and the West, though possibly only after assessing that the insurgency that the Russian government seems to be fostering in eastern Ukraine has enough momentum to continue without overt support that would risk further economic sanctions. |