News; Western European consumers noticed

Senior Gazprom officials have made conflicting statements about the
status of Ukrainian payment of its $2 billion debt to Gazprom. Gazprom chairman,
Alexei Miller, says the funds have yet to appear in company accounts. That
statement came a day after Ukraine announced it had paid its obligations for
November and December deliveries. However, a deputy to the Gazprom chairman,
Alexander Medvedev, says payment has in fact been received.Gazprom Chairman
Alexei Miller has said there must be an agreement for Russia to have a legal
basis to continue gas deliveries to Ukraine after January 1.Gazprom has been
seeking to increase Ukraine's price for gas in the New Year to $418 per 1,000
cubic meters, more than double the current rate. In GHD IV 2006, Western European consumers noticed
a drop in gas pipeline pressure after Russia cut supplies to Ukraine in a
similar mid-winter payment dispute