Europe gets 20 percent of its gas from Russia via pipelines that cross Ukraine and has an interest in helping prevent a repeat of the January gas crisis. When Russia cut off gas shipments via Ukraine for nearly two weeks as a price and payment dispute between the two neighbors escalated, more than 15 European countries were sent scrambling to find alternative sources of energy.


Putin said Russia had done its part by paying transit fees of $2.5 billion in advance.

"Let the Europeans throw in a lousy billion," he said in televised remarks after talks with Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen.

"Why have they gotten so stingy down there? Let them get something out of their pockets," he said, in typically colorful language. "They have money, too."