KIEV, Jan 18 – Ukraine’s energy company Naftogaz Ukrayiny on Wednesday refused to pay a $5.32 billion bill from Gazprom for allegedly breaching a take-or-pay clause in a gas supply contract in 2016.

Gazprom sent the bill on Tuesday seeking to charge for gas not taken by Naftogaz in 2016 under the take-or-pay terms of the 10-year contract.

"Naftogaz has no plans to pay this bill until the arbitration court decides on whether the take-or-pay clause can be applied in this dispute,” Naftogaz said in a statement.