The parties discussed Russian-Ukrainian cooperation in the gas sector, including the settling of mutual claims related to the execution of contracts, the terms of transiting Russian gas to Europe from 2020 onward, and the outlook for direct purchases of Russian gas for Ukrainian consumers.

Gazprom delivered to the country 12.7 billion cubic meters of gas, which was 2.8 per cent more than in the entire year of 2018, a record-breaking year in terms of Gazprom's exports to Austria.

Last week, President Vladimir Putin said Russia wanted to resume direct gas sales to Ukraine -- and would be prepared to reduce the price Kyiv paid by 20%-25%.

In the near term, Russia's GDP is projected to grow by 1.1 percent in 2019, held back by weak domestic demand and an unfavorable external environment. Growth is forecast to pick up to 1.9 percent in 2020

In a statement, Gazprom said it had sent a letter to Naftogaz -- signed by Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller -- to "extend the existing contract or to conclude a new gas transit agreement through Ukraine for a period of one year."

Putin said Ukraine still had work to do to align its gas regulatory landscape with that of Europe, questioning whether Kiev would be able to achieve this in time. "That is not up to us," he said. "Therefore, the risk of termination of transit exists."

"The law implements a European compromise, in which we, together with France and the Commission and other member states played a major role," Altmaier said.

Rosneft already supplies crude to India, shipping to its subsidiary Nayara Energy which operates the 20 million mt/year Vadinar refinery in Gujarat.

The timeline for work to lay the section of pipeline in Danish waters will be key to when Nord Stream 2 is able to begin flowing gas, with wider implications for the European gas market -- including whether Russia's Gazprom agrees a new transit deal with Ukraine's Naftogaz.

Poland's antitrust authority, the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK), said Friday it had imposed a fine on France's Engie of Zloty 172 million ($44.5 million) for its failure to provide the watchdog with documents regarding its agreements with Gazprom aboutfinancing the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.