Gas dispute with Russia will be settled by January 7, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said in a statement Thursday.

"I think that we are close to a compromise and I ask the Russian president, the Russian prime minister and Ukrainian negotiators ... to do all they can so the talks can be completed as soon as possible."

"Our negotiations with the Russian side should be continued within the next two days and completed by January 7," said Yushchenko, in his first statement after Russia cut off gas supplies to Ukraine.

Russian energy giant Gazprom cut off supplies to Ukraine earlier Thursday after the two sides failed to agree on terms for a 2009 contract amid conflicts over a new price and gas transit fees.

Analysts said Ukraine has enough gas in storage facilities to weather the Russian cut-off, stressing that Ukraine's financial woes have pared down its energy needs through the winter months.

Ukraine sits on the main transit route for Russian gas exports to Europe, accounting for 80 percent of the continent's gas supply by Russia.

In 2006, a dispute over gas prices between Kiev and Moscow sent jitters among European customers after Gazprom cut all gas supplies to Ukraine.

(Xinhua News Agency January 2, 2009)