Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk says that claims lodged by Russia with the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce for recovering $27 billion from NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy are groundless.

"We've prepared and submitted claims to the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce against Russia. Ukraine demands that Russia's Gazprom compensate $16 billion, which Ukraine overpaid as gas prices and fell short of payment for transit. I'd like to mention separately that Russia filed a claim against Ukraine on the basis of the same gas contracts used to recover $27 billion from the Ukrainian state under the so-called "take or pay" clause of the contract. We consider Russia's claims groundless and will defend Ukraine's national interests," Yatseniuk said during hearings on tariffs in parliament on Friday.

Speaking about the current gas contract with Gazprom, Yatseniuk said: "As premier, I wouldn't like to get back to that gas deal for many reasons, but time will come when it must be investigated whether there were kickbacks in payment for Russian natural gas under that contract and who got those kickbacks. No kickbacks are paid now because there are no go-betweens. We've got direct contracts both with Gazprom and our European partners."