Putin says he is ready to deliver gas, discuss prisoner swap: Austria

Austrian Chancellor has informed recently that Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to provide full natural gas supplies to the nation

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said Russian President Vladimir Putin told him on a telephone call on Friday that Moscow would meet its natural gas delivery commitments and was ready to discuss a prisoner swap with Ukraine.

Nehammer made the comments to reporters after the two leaders held a 45-minute call.

Asked what Putin had told him about gas deliveries, Nehammer said: "He also raised the subject (and said) that all deliveries would be completed in full."

In a separate statement, the Kremlin said Russia had reaffirmed its commitment to comply with contractual obligations on natural gas supplies to Austria, which gets 80% of its gas from Russia.

Nehammer, who visited Russia last month for talks with Putin, said the Russian leader had expressed readiness to discuss a prisoner swap with Ukraine.

"If he is really ready to negotiate is a complex question," he added.

(Reporting by Michael Shields, editing by Thomas Escritt and Andrew Heavens)