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| Gaszprom Russia to cut gas supplies to Ukraine by 25% Mar 3 over unpaid debt.
He said Ukraine and Gazprom had so far failed to finalize a preliminary accord on solving their disagreements.
The accord was concluded earlier this month.
Kupriyanov also said Ukraine kept taking Russian gas without Gazprom's authorization.
The report follows a telephone conversation Tuesday between Russian President Vladimir Putin with his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yushchenko on the gas dispute.
Meanwhile, Valentin Zemlyansky, head of Ukrainian oil and gas company Naftogaz Ukrainy's public relations department, said Tuesday that the company would transfer more than U.S.
$230 million this week to help repay the gas debt.
Earlier this month Gazprom said Naftogaz Ukrainy owed U.S. $500 million for gas taken by the Ukrainian company without permission since January 1.
Gazprom said then Naftogaz Ukrainy owed an additional $1 billion for gas supplied last year.
Of the latter amount, Naftogaz Ukrainy repaid $282 million earlier in February.
In addition to the debt, Gazprom and Naftogaz Ukrainy have been at odds over the participation of
intermediaries in gas sales and Naftogaz Ukrainy's role in gas transit through Ukraine to the E.U. Putin,
Yushchenko and Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko held negotiations on the row last week but failed to reach an accord.
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