Ukraine expects Russia to ensure a shipment of certain volumes of natural gas through its gas transportation system in the event of the formation of a gas transportation consortium, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has said.

"We want the Ukrainian GTS to work reliably, so that it could ship a certain amount of gas to Europe, and the more the better. And we want to have it technically upgraded," the head of state said during a press conference in Kyiv on Friday.

According to him, Ukraine wants to achieve this through cooperation with its partners.

"What can Russia do? Russia can guarantee the amount of gas shipments, and we have asked it to give us the answer," Yanukovych sai