KIEV, Jan. 14 - The Ukrainian national energy trader Naftogaz Ukrayiny is asking Gazprom to lend it a necessary amount of so-called technological natural gas, i.e. gas used solely to maintain pressure in the gas pipeline system, to ensure gas transit to Europe across Ukraine, Naftogaz Chairman Oleh Dubyna said at a news briefing in Kiev on Wednesday.

"Lend us this gas if you can please. After we come to terms on how much this costs, we will pay you for it," he said.