Ukraine's prime minister thinks Naftogaz's mega-bonus plans are a tad excessive, as Gazprom still refuses to pay a 2.6-billion court settlement

Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman is asking Naftogaz to reconsider the large bonuses it says it will award to staff for its victory over Gazprom in a February Stockholm Arbitration ruling, where the Ukrainian national oil and gas company was awarded $4.6 billion in compensation for unpaid gas transit fees. Naftogaz plans to pay $46.3 million (one percent of its total award) to 41 different employees (not all of whom are top managers, the company says).

Groysman says the massive bonuses are “poorly timed” and “over the top,” though he congratulates Naftogaz and its management on winning “a serious victory for Ukraine’s interests.”

• In December 2017, in a separate case, the Stockholm Arbitration Court ordered Naftogaz to buy 5 billion cubic meters of gas from Gazprom between 2018 and 2019, and required it to pay the Russian company $2 billion. With the February 28 ruling, Naftogaz is now owed $2.6 billion from Gazprom, which is challenging the second verdict and withholding the $2.6-billion payment on the grounds that Ukraine is unlikely to return the money, if the ruling is reversed on appeal.