KIEV, March 1 – The European Commission is ready to act as mediator and join talks between Ukraine and Russia on the supply and transit of natural gas, Vice-President of the EU Commission for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic said at Adam Smith Conferences' Ukrainian Energy Forum in Kiev on Tuesday.

In his words, the sides should start hammering out interim decisions, because mutual claims between NJSC Naftogaz Ukrayiny and Russia's OAO Gazprom are most likely not to be settled by the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce earlier than 2017.