Ukraine President Viktor Yushchenko called for his country's gas agreement with Russia to be revised and warned of the potential for huge penalties if it buys less gas than stipulated in its contract, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reports.
Yushchenko said the possible penalty in the first quarter of 2009 "for gas we have not consumed" amounts to about $1.4 billion, and to $3.9 billion in the second quarter, although he also said Russia may choose not to impose the penalty.
Yushchenko blamed his rival, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, for signing the deal.
"The gas agreements that were signed by the prime minister and Naftogaz in January need to be ... reviewed," he said