Russia, Ukraine and EU to hold further gas talks in April

Igor Kolomoisky, billionaire and governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, speaks during an interview in Dnipropetrovsk May 24, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko/Files

BRUSSELS/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia, Ukraine and the European Commission will hold a new round of gas supply talks next month in pursuit of a deal that could help to defuse wider tensions between Moscow and Kiev.

A preliminary meeting in Brussels on Friday had never been expected to yield major progress, with the two sides still far apart as they jostle for position in the negotiations while European Union officials have set a target date of June for a new accord on how much Ukraine should pay Moscow for its gas.