KIEV, Aug. 1 - Ukraine doesn’t expect Russia’s Gazprom to charge penalties for the country’s dramatic reduction of natural gas imports in 2012, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said.

The government decided in June to cut Russian gas imports to 27 billion cubic meters in 2012 from 40 billion cu m in 2011, but the move had been objected to by Gazprom.

A 10-year gas contract signed in January 2009 allows Gazprom to charge the penalties if Ukraine unilaterally cuts gas imports, but Azarov said this is not likely to happen.