US trade war could cost global economy $430 billion, IMF warns

The risk of current trade tensions escalating further is the greatest near-term threat to global growth, said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its latest World Economic Outlook report.

IMF predicts oil price plunge to $50 per barrel in 2017-2018

The International Monetary Fund expects global oil prices at around $50 per barrel, down from its April projection of $55 per barrel, according to the World Economic Outlook report published Tuesday.

EU to Continue Financial Aid Provision for Ukraine's Gas Debt Repayment (Official)

The European Union intends to continue the provision of financial assistance to Ukraine to help the country repay its debt for Russian gas, EU Ambassador to Russia Vigaudas Ushatskas stated Wednesday.

"Our aid reaches billion euros, including what we have already given and will give [to Ukraine]. We have been helping to reach a treaty between Russia and Ukraine on the whole range of complex gas issues. And we will allocate the amounts that will be needed to pay off [debts for] gas," Ushatskas told Ekho Moskvy radio.

Kiev Agrees With IMF to Pay for Russian Gas During Winter Period From Own Exchange Reserve

Kiev has agreed with International Monetary Fund (IMF) that it will pay for Russian gas during the winter period from Ukraine's exchange reserves, the country's national bank said.

"We managed to agree with IMF that the payments for the gas can be made from our own exchange reserves and IMF will support us. That is why we are confident we can support all the payments to Gazprom on the recent gas agreement," the Head of Ukraine's National Bank Valeriia Gontareva said at the press briefing.

Date for Trilateral Gas Talks Remains Undefined: Ukraine’s Energy Ministry

BRUSSELS, October 2  – The exact date for the next round of gas talks between Russia, Ukraine and the European Union has not been set yet, Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan told journalists Thursday.

"[The date] is undefined," Prodan, who held a bilateral meeting with EU Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger earlier on Thursday, said.

On Wednesday, Prodan said that the trilateral gas talks in the European Union-Russia-Ukraine format were likely to be held on Friday.

Ukraine-Russia-EU gas talks postponed till next week. --Ukraine’s debt for gas exceeds $5 billion

The trilateral Russia-EU-Ukraine talks have been postponed till next week, a European Commission representative told TASS on Wednesday.
Russian Energy Ministry spokesperson also told TASS that the talks have been postponed.

Previous round of talks

After the tripartite talks in Berlin on September 26 Russia, the EU and Ukraine prepared a new package on the gas problem. The agreement should be coordinated by the governments of the countries.

Ukrainian Energy Ministry Not Satisfied With Berlin ‘Winter Plan’ on Gas

The Ukrainian Energy Ministry said Tuesday it had three reasons to object the “Winter Plan” on gas, endorsed by Russia and the European Commission during the ministerial gas meeting in Berlin last Friday.

The plan envisages that Kiev repays of $3.1 billion of its gas debt to Russia and pays in advance to Gazprom for the delivery of five billion cubic meters of gas at the price of $385 per 1,000 cubic meters, with a discount of $100. The plan, intended to reduce risks for transit of Europe-bound Russian gas via Ukraine, is to be in place until late March.

Russia Ready to Implement 'Winter Gas Plan,' Waiting for Kiev's Response (Alexander Novak, Energy Minister)

Russia is ready to implement the “winter plan” of delivering natural gas to Ukraine and is waiting for Kiev’s reaction, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Tuesday.

“It all depends on Ukraine. I believe that from our side we are practically ready to do everything that we agreed on in regard to this packet. We’ll wait for a reaction from Ukraine in the next few days when everything becomes clear,” Novak told journalists.

The “winter gas packet” is due to be sent to the Russian government for approval soon.

Ukraine to hike gas rates by 50% for IMF loan. -The IMF programme's approval would set in motion the release of further assistance from both Washington and the European Union.

Ukraine agreed on Wednesday to quickly hike domestic gas prices by as much as 50 percent to meet a key loan condition set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the crisis-hit ex-Soviet state. The new Western-backed government in Kiev is seeking $15-20 billion (11-14.5 billion euros) in IMF assistance in order to balance its books and meet a series of foreign loan repayments. An IMF team met with Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk in Kiev on Wednesday for what Ukrainian officials hoped would be a final round of talks before the package is approved in Washington next month.
The Fund has made an immediate end to Ukraine's costly gas subsidies one of its prime conditions for the programme's approval.