MOSCOW, March 31 - The duration of the winter gas package for Ukraine has expired and as of April 1 Russia will no longer grant a discount on gas it sells to the country, Energy Minister Alexander Novak said in a statement posted on the ministry's website.

"The discount on gas for Ukraine in the amount of $17.77 that was granted by the Russian government for the first quarter of 2016 expires on March 31, 2016. The final price of gas for Ukraine in the first quarter was $212 per 1,000 cubic meters. The agreements on the discount were established within the context of the so-called winter package, agreed by Russia, Ukraine and the European Union," Novak said.