MOSCOW, Dec 21 – Gazprom has agreed to pay an undisclosed amount of money to Ukrainian pipeline operator for natural gas shipping services without waiting until the country’s regulator sets market-based tariffs, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak said Saturday.

The payment will not be changed and may appear to be either lower or higher than the eventual market-based tariffs, but that ‘financial risk’ will be carried by Naftogaz Ukrayiny.

"We don't care about this now. This will be Naftogaz's problem. We have told Naftogaz how much we will agree to compensate it for providing this service,” Kozak said. “As to how much is that, I don't want to disclose a commercial secret.”