KIEV, Nov. 11 - Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said Wednesday the government had an “understanding” with Russian gas company Gazprom over avoiding penalties for the country’s failure to import the promised amount of gas in 2009.

Tymoshenko reacted to concerns from the office of President Viktor Yushchenko that had forecast that Gazprom may invoice Ukraine with the penalty of $8.7 billion in 2009.