Channel News Asia: Russia plans no Ukraine gas talks before cutoff deadline

Russia's energy ministry said on Friday it intends to hold no new talks with either the European Union or Ukraine before Moscow's deadline to cut off energy supplies unless Kiev pays its gas debt.

"We are not planning any meetings so far," energy ministry spokeswoman Olga Golant told AFP. Russian officials had no plans to discuss the matter over the phone either before the cutoff early Monday, she added.

EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger said earlier on Friday he hoped a new round of high-stakes gas talks between Ukraine and Russia to avert a cutoff of gas flows to Europe could resume this weekend.

"We agreed that both delegations talk to their respective presidents and prime ministers and that happened yesterday," Oettinger said as he arrived for a meeting with EU energy ministers.
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