Ukraine intends to sign new gas agreement with Russia

 "Despite all the efforts we have been taking, peak demands [during the heating season] have to be covered by Russian supplies. Therefore, we are set to negotiate with the Russians because we need a contract for the heating season, and we will sign it," Demchyshyn said. He noted that Ukraine expects to buy Russian gas at a price under USD 250 per 1,000 cubic meters until the end of the heating season. The minister also announced that the next trilateral meeting in the EU-Ukraine-Russia is to be held in Vienna in late August. The European Commission has been mediating in a gas pricing dispute between Russia and Ukraine, an important transit route for gas to the EU, for more than a year.