Ukraine's participation in a free trade (FTA) agreement with the CIS countries won't entail Russia making concessions in the issue of natural gas supplies, head of international programs of the Razumkov Center Mykhailo Pashkov has said.

"The free trade area won't solve several key problems of Ukraine - its main problems. First of all, it will not settle of the energy supply problem in relations with Russia. This issue is at a dead point, and it's not clear how the problem of pipeline transportation and the problem of trade wars will be solved… Russia did not agree to a compromise even in this sphere," the expert said at a press conference in Kyiv on Friday.

According to him, one of the reasons for the pressure that is being placed on Ukraine is the fact that Russia wants to see Ukraine as a member of the Customs Union.

"The Russian side categorically refused the 3+1 formula suggested by us. And it's quite obvious that Russia will keep increasing this pressure and this issue will remain on the agenda of Ukraine-Russia negotiations. Energy is, first of all, an element of pressure," he said.

Pashkov added that the worse Ukraine's relations with the EU become, the more difficult it will be to reject Russia's proposals.