EU to meet Russia officials over gas supply worries

The European Union yesterday scheduled talks with Russia to press for a speedy resolution of a dispute with Ukraine that has hit gas supplies to countries in eastern and southern Europe facing freezing temperatures.

Russian gas monopoly Gazprom cut off gas supplies to Ukraine on Jan 1 in a dispute over debts and pricing that shows no sign of ending.

The move has worried European countries, which get one fifth of their gas through pipelines that cross Ukraine.