No gas war with Russia, Kiev says

KIEV, Ukraine, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Despite economic difficulties, Kiev will do whatever it can to prevent the outbreak of a gas war with Moscow, Ukraine's deputy prime minister said.

The Ukrainian economy was hit hard by the global economic recession that gripped markets earlier this year. The tough market climate created challenges for Kiev to makes its monthly gas payments to Moscow.

Ukraine Deputy Prime Minister Hryhory Nemyrya said despite the economic challenges, Kiev would make sure it meets its monthly payment deadline, the National News Agency of Ukraine reports.

"Surely, it will be difficult to do, but Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, as before, is going to do her best, to take every effort so that confidence in Ukraine's timely payments is kept," he said.

Russian gas monopoly Gazprom halted gas shipments to Ukraine briefly following a January dispute over contracts and arrears. A contract settling that dispute requires Kiev to pay for its gas by the seventh of the month.

Media reports earlier this week had suggested Ukrainian utility Naftogaz could miss its November payment deadline.

"The company officially declares that it will pay for all the natural gas used in October timely and in full, the same way as it has done in the previous periods of the current year," the utility said in statements issued on its Web site.