raine's President Viktor Yushchenko looks on during a meeting with energy officials in the control centre of Ukraine's pipeline operator in Kiev December 31, 2005. Russian President Vladimir Putin offered Ukraine a three-month reprieve in a bitter gas price dispute on Saturday, but only gave Kiev until the end of the day to strike a deal. (Photo: Xinhua/REUTERS)

    KIEV, Dec. 31 (Xinhuanet) -- Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenkoon Saturday called on his country to strive for economic independence, noting that the nation made "magnificent achievements" in 2005.

    In a televised New Year's address, Yushchenko said that over the past year Ukraine had strengthened its economy, pulled out troops from Iraq and improved democracy.

    He called on his compatriots "to fight for economic independence," which critics say appears more urgent amid a bitterdispute over gas prices with Russia.

    Russia said on Sunday that it would cut off gas supplies to Ukraine within hours after the neighbor rejected its latest offer on gas deliveries for 2006.

    Gazprom, Russia's state-owned gas monopoly which controls a third of the world's natural gas reserves, said everything was ready for ending supplies to Ukraine at precisely 10:00 a.m. (0700GMT) Sunday.

    Yushchenko, who is seeking to reduce Russian influence and to establish closer ties with the West, has set Ukraine's membership in the European Union and NATO as his country's strategic goals. Enditem