BRUSSELS: Russia agreed to resume gas supplies to Ukraine over the winter under a deal clinched late Friday with the European Union, capping months of difficult talks overshadowed by the Ukrainian conflict.

European Commission Vice President for Energy, Maros Sefcovic, told a press conference the preliminary deal was a ‘crucial step’ to ensure Ukraine has gas supplies from October through March and that Europe receives onward deliveries.

“We just initiated a trilateral agreement for the upcoming winter,” Sefcovic said after nearly six hours of talks with the Russian and Ukrainian energy ministers in Brussels.

He added that ‘all technical details are agreed’ and the framework was set, but confirmation and formal signing of the full agreement would require separate procedures. — AFP