Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak (L) shakes hands and exchanges signed documents with Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuri Prodan.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak, Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuri Prodan, and European Union Energy Chief Guenther Oettinger, and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso were present at the signing ceremony. Ukraine’s PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk said Thursday that Kiev is ready to pay its gas debts to Russia after the two sides signed a deal on the matter.