Russia resumed pumping natural gas into Ukraine on its way to Europe on Tuesday, two weeks after a contract row cut supplies to about 20 European countries, according to Reuters. Ukraine's state energy firm Naftogaz confirmed it was receiving Russian gas, but said it would take up to 36 hours for it to reach Europe, where some countries have been forced to ration supplies to businesses and households. The order to start pumping gas again followed the signing of a 10-year gas contract between Moscow and Kiev and late-night talks between Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and officials from Gazprom, Russia's gas export monopoly. "Today at 10:05 (0705 GMT) Ukraine started taking Russian gas through Sudzha (compressor station in western Russia)," Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said. "Now we are building up the volumes of deliveries on all routes to reach normal operation." In Kiev, a spokesman for Naftogaz said Slovakia would be the first to receive the renewed supplies. "We confirm that gas is flowing in all directions. We will try to deliver it to Europe as soon as possible," the spokesman said. The dispute had reflected political tension between the two countries, with Russia opposed to formerly Soviet Ukraine's aspirations to join the NATO military alliance. Gazprom Chief Executive Alexei Miller said that under the new contract Ukraine would pay $360 per 1,000 cubic metres of gas in the first quarter of this year, a sharp rise on the $179.5 that Kiev was paying for Russian gas last year.
