KIEV, April 26 – Ukraine has every reason to claim special status in gas relations with Russia, Leonid Kuchma, Ukraine's second president, said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

While commenting on the report that Russia is linking the gas price with a possible accession of Ukraine to the tripartite customs union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, Kuchma said: "This position of the Russian side is not quite correct. There are at least three powerful arguments in favor of a special status of Ukraine in Russia's gas relations with other states."