KIEV (AFP)--Ukraine will transit Russian gas to Europe as soon as Moscow provides the "total volume" required, President Viktor Yushchenko told German Chancellor Angela Merkel Thursday, his office said.
"Ukraine is ready to transit Russian gas to European consumers, even without a contract, if the total volume is provided," Yushchenko's press service quoted him as saying in a phone conversation with Merkel.
Yushchenko told Merkel gas transit hadn't resumed because Ukrainian pipelines hadn't been provided gas "in the volume envisaged by contracts between Gazprom and European consumers."
One of Ukraine's arguments in the current gas dispute with Moscow has been that it can't ship token amounts of gas from Russia to the European Union as Kiev has switched its gas shipment system to a new regime.
The current regime entails using gas that Ukraine has stored in reservoirs in the west of the country to industries located in the east - the opposite direction from Russian shipments to Europe.
Yushchenko also said he was prepared to take part in a summit bringing together the leaders of Russia, Ukraine and E.U. countries "on the condition that it takes place on European territory."
Russia said Thursday it would host a summit on the European gas crisis on Saturday and is inviting European leaders to take part.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko is to meet Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin Saturday in Moscow