German energy giant E.on Ruhrgas said Monday that it felt hit by cuts in natural gas flowing from Russia via a pipeline through Ukraine to western Europe.

"We are clearly receiving less (gas) than has been planned in our contract, but we can not yet give any exact figures," Ruhrgas spokeswoman Tatjana Dreyer said in Essen.

But she said the deficit could easily be compensated in Germany, which has enough gas stocks that last 75 days and can increase imports from Norway.

Russia's gas giant Gazprom cut off gas supplies to Ukraine on Sunday after Kiev rejected Moscow's demand for a sharp rise in gas prices in 2006.

Germany called Monday for a compromise between Russia and Ukraine in the gas dispute.

Deputy government spokesman Thomas Steg said that German officials had phoned with senior government members in both Moscow and Kiev and called on them to find a solution to the problem.

Thirty-five percent of Germany's total natural gas imports come from Russia. More than 47 percent of the 37.7 million apartments and homes in Germany are heated with natural gas, according to the Federal Association of the German Gas and Water Industry.

But German Economy Minister Michael Glos said on the same day that for the moment Germans have no cause for concern, assuring " They will not be affected by what has happened so far."

A Russian-German natural gas pipeline running through the Baltic Sea is currently under construction. The 4 billion-euro (4. 7 billion U.S. dollars) gas pipeline, agreed in September between Germany and Russia, will raise gas import from Russia to Germany to 50 percent.

The project is a joint venture between Russia's Gazprom, owning 51 percent, and Germany's utilities.

Source: Xinhua