President Dmitry Medvedev has said he does not expect Russian-Ukrainian relations to deteriorate sharply over the non-repayment of the debt on gas.
"Hopefully, we'll see the New Year in quietly. The only thing that must be done is to repay the debt. And everything will depend on our Ukrainian colleagues' mood," Medvedev said in answer to a question from Interfax.
Asked what he meant when he was telling the Gazprom head that legal and administrative measures should be applied to Ukraine, Medvedev said that as a lawyer he does not see a difference between these positions.
"When I was saying 'administrative' measures I meant relations based on law, relations between Gazprom and the Ukrainian company, and between the two governments. When I was talking about legal measures I mean the possibility to go to the court to resolve the conflict between the two companies," he said.
Medvedev made a point that the outcome will depend on Ukraine's decision on debt repayment.
