The dispute between Russian state-owned gas supplier Gazprom and Ukraine over natural gas prices started in March of 2005 (over the price of natural gas and prices for the transition of Gazprom's gas to Europe). The two parties were unable to reach an agreement to resolve the dispute, and Russia cut gas exports to Ukraine on January 1 2006 at 10:00 MSK. The supply was restored on January 4 2006, when a preliminary agreement between two gas companies was settled. However, the inter-government treaty has not been signed yet.
Amidst speculation that preceded the signing of the agreement, the presidents of both countries declared on January 11 2006 in Kazakhstan that both sides did indeed arrive at compromises in a mutually satisfying agreement, and declared that they would more work of cooperation in other areas of conduct of the neighbour countries.
A new gas dispute arose in October 2007 and it culminated with the gas reduction in March 2008.
