RUSSIA-UKRAINE/GAS

Spokesman of Russian gas monopoly Gazprom, Sergei Kupriyanov, holds documents of Ukraine's state energy firm Naftogaz during a news conference in Moscow December 31, 2008. Russia said on Wednesday the chances were receding that a gas deal will be clinched with Ukraine to avoid a threatened January 1 gas cut-off which would disrupt supplies to customers in Europe. REUTERS/Denis Sinyakov (RUSSIA)