Kiev- Siphoning of Russian gas moving to Europe by Ukraine was not taking place, a European Union official said Tuesday.

"We do not have any information that Ukraine performed unsanctioned siphoning of (Russian natural gas earmarked for Europe) after December 31," said Andris Piebalgs, the European Union's Energy Commissioner, at a Kiev press conference.

Piebalgs' remarks came on the first day of a resumption of Russian natural gas shipments to Ukraine, cut off at the end of 2008 over a series of Russo-Ukrainian disputes, among them Russian allegations that Ukraine had stolen Russian gas in the past.

Moscow - The Russian gas monopoly Gazprom began Tuesday to pump gas to Europe into a Ukrainian transit pipeline for the first time since a nearly two-week supply blockade began, the Russian Interfax news agency reported.

The supply resumed after both countries laid aside a bitter dispute over fees and the illegal siphoning of gas, which had cut European countries off from energy supplies in the middle of a harsh winter.

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Brussels  - The European Union issued a cautious reaction Sunday to the news that Russia and Ukraine had reached a deal on resuming gas supplies to Europe.

"The (European) Commission welcomes the announcement in Moscow of Prime Minister (Vladimir) Putin and Prime Minister (Yulia) Tymoshenko, and in particular the announcement that gas transit to Europe could be resumed on Monday," the EU's executive arm in Brussels said in a statement.

"But we have seen many false dawns in this dispute, and the 'test' in this case is whether or not the gas flows to Europe's consumers. Until that point, the wait goes on for Europe," the statement said.

Moscow  - Russian Prime Minsiter Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Yulia Tymoshenko settled a contractual dispute on Sunday morning, allowing for an end to a week-long freeze on transits to gas-starved Europe.

The two premiers emerged from crisis talks that ran into the early hours of the morning Sunday with an accord on gas pricing for 2009, and pledged to resume gas transits to Europe as soon as the documents the documents were signed on January 19.

"Negotiations were very hard, but we have come to mutual understanding ... All natural gas supplies will resume as soon as these documents are signed," Tymoshenko said in a televised statement.

Moscow  - Russia and Ukraine settled their contractual dispute over gas supplies early Monday morning, bringing an end to a week-long embargo on transits to gas-starved Europe.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said in a joint televised statement they would sign a new supply contract for 2009 on Monday, immediately freeing gas supplies via Ukrainian pipelines to Europe.

"All natural gas supplies will resume as soon as these documents are signed," Tymoshenko said.