Kiev  - Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko on Wednesday called a Russian offer on gas pricing "unacceptable" and urged negotiators to work harder to reach an agreement before a Kremlin-set midnight deadline for full-scale cut in gas deliveries.

Yushchenko rejected Russia's proposal to hike the price of natural gas sold to Ukraine from 179 dollars per 1,000 cubic metres to 250 dollars, on grounds the Russian offer left practically unchanged transit fees to be charged Russia by Ukraine for natural gas shipped to Europe.

The Ukrainian leader was responding to comments made by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin earlier calling the 250 dollar proposal "extremely good terms" for Ukraine.

Yushchenko rejected Putin's claim, saying the current price paid by Russia to ship 1,000 cubic metres of gas through 100 kilometres of Ukrainian pipeline - 1.90 dollars - was artificially low.

Russia from 2005 through 2008 effectively doubled the price of natural gas sold to Ukraine, from 95 to 179 dollars. The cost of transit to Ukraine over the same period changed relatively less, from 1.70 to 1.90 dollars, Yushchenko noted. (dpa)