(VOVworld) – The EU Commissioner for Energy, Gunther Oettinger, said on Tuesday that the EU would help Ukraine pay debts worth 2 billion USD for Russian gas supplies.

Ukraine's debts to Russia was at around 2 billion USD by February, 2014 (Photo: rferl.org)

Mr. Oettinger was speaking at the EU’s assistance program and the plan was expected to be approved on Wednesday. At the moment, Ukraine’s National Joint Stock Company Naftogaz’s total debt to Russia’s Gazprom gas group is estimated at around 2 billion USD. Moreover, the EU is likely to supply gas to Ukraine.

The EU made the decision after Gazprom announced that it would stop selling gas at its present price to Ukraine as it had failed to meet the deadline to pay in accordance with the signed contract. So far, Ukraine has paid for nearly 50 percent for the gas it had purchased in 2013.