Russia's intention to switch to advance payments for gas it supplies is an attempt to strip Ukraine of its right of choice, Party of Regions MP Inna Bohoslovska has said.

"All this talk about advance payments for gas again proves what a 'favor' [former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia] Tymoshenko did to the country with a population of 45 million people. Threatening with this document, they are trying to deprive us of our right of choice," she said in an interview with Interfax Ukraine on Wednesday.

Bohoslovska said that "the gas contract with Russia, signed by Tymoshenko, has become a great tool for blackmail in the hands of Moscow."

"It's clear that the gas contract signed on market terms would have never turned into a cudgel with which they could dictate who can sign an association agreement, and who can't. But the problem is that this is a political document. The decision to sign it was taken for political or personal reasons – in order to win the presidential elections and resolve her personal problems in relations with Russia. Therefore, we have such a high price of the contract, which we all now have to pay," she said.

Bohoslovska said that the gas contract in its current form is a major threat to Ukrainian sovereignty.

She said that an attempt to make the most of Tymoshenko's "heritage," which she left to Ukraine, can do no good to Russia.

"Whether we like it or not, we are doomed to friendship and good neighborly relations. However, what has recently been happening can hardly be called friendship. Ukraine has never taken the language of ultimatums. Everyone will lose from such policies, especially Russia. I hope that when it's not too late the conclusions will be made and that we will still start build a mutually beneficial partnership, in which a gas supply contract will be a document signed by Naftogaz Ukrainy and Gazprom, taking into account the national interests of both countries, rather than an instrument of pressure and blackmail," Bohoslovska said.

Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said on October 29 that Ukraine had not paid the $882 million it owes for gas delivered in August 2013.

He said during an intercom meeting conducted by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev that it was necessary "to consider the question of prepayment soon, advance payments, as is envisioned in the contract."

While commenting on the delay in payment for the consumed Russian gas, Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said on October 29 that the issue of settlements for natural gas with Russia remains within the Ukrainian government's focus, but it is primarily a problem of two companies - Naftogaz Ukrainy and Russian gas giant Gazprom. He said that certain problems exist, but they are not critical.