Disruptions to Europe's natural gas supplies eased Tuesday as the Russian state gas company Gazprom topped up exports amid its blockade of Ukraine and agreed to resume talks with Kiev over energy prices.


After senior EU officials urged the sides to end the current deadlock, Gazprom said it will meet a delegation from the Ukrainian gas company Naftogaz Ukrainy that was due to arrive in Moscow Tuesday evening.

But no more concessions would be made, the company stressed in an indication that the dispute can drag out longer.

"We have made too many steps to meet Ukraine halfway and we do not intend to go on with it," spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said. "Our Ukrainian colleagues understand that we should work together in conditions of market-based relations."

Russia turned off the taps to its neighbour on Sunday after Ukraine refused to pay the international price of $230 per 1,000 cubic metres of gas instead of the subsidized rate of $50 paid in recent years.

While reflecting generally worsening relations between the two former Soviet republics, the conflict quickly affected European countries that receive Russian gas through Ukrainian pipelines.

Germany, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Serbia-Montenegro, Romania, Italy and France all reported decreases of up to 30 percent in their flows.

Faced with a backlash over ensuing shortfalls, Gazprom pumped additional gas into export lines to cover more than 220 million cubic metres of gas it accuses Ukraine of stealing since Jan 1.

Extra gas was also sent through the Yamal-Europe pipeline that crosses Belarus and through the Blue Stream pipeline to Turkey.

Affected countries reported a swift improvement in the supply situation Tuesday as pipeline pressure rose to normal levels.

While energy officials in Kiev denied shipments were diverted, Paolo Scaroni, chief executive officer of Italy's Eni SpA, said Monday that Ukraine took "almost 25 percent of the gas for their internal use" that was slated to Western European consumption.

Gazprom spoke of compensation for shortages experienced by European customers but gave no immediate details.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov on Tuesday sent a written assurance to the EU presidency that all contracts with the West will be honoured by Russia "in the interests of energy security".