BRUSSELS, Aug. 30 - European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic said he will visit Kiev on Friday to discuss energy reforms and lay the groundwork for trilateral talks with Ukraine and Russia that he hopes will help ensure uninterrupted gas supplies in the winter, Reuters reported.

The European Union relies on Russia for around a third of its gas. More than half of that arrives via Ukraine, but since ties between Russia and Ukraine hit rock bottom over Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Kiev in 2014, the potential for disputes over pricing and other issues has accelerated.

"Despite a very difficult situation, especially in east Ukraine, the transit route through Ukraine has been working well. We consider it a priority that this route is fully operational this winter as well," Sefcovic told reporters.