Ukraine doesn't see why it should pay a $7 billion bill from Russia 's OAO Gazprom (GAZP.RS), Ukraine 's energy and coal industry minister said Thursday, Interfax reported.

"We have issued a response that we do not consider reasonable to [pay] the $7 billion bill... because there are no grounds [for it]," Eduard Stavitsky said. "We are fulfilling all the conditions of the agreement," he added.

Ukraine Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara told Dow Jones Newswires on Jan. 30 the country wouldn't pay the bill, which was for gas that Ukraine didn't take in 2012. Russia has said Ukraine is obliged to pay for the gas under a "take-or-pay" clause in the contract.

On Jan. 31 Ukraine 's state energy company Naftogaz said it had sent a response to the $7 billion bill and that all questions over the natural gas contract between the two countries "will be resolved according to its terms."

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