The Kremlin on Thursday said Ukraine should stick to existing gas deals with Russia, drawing a line on a divisive issue expected to be in focus during Viktor Yanukovich's first visit to Moscow as Ukraine's president. While it marks a fresh start in political ties that soured under Yanukovich's pro-Western predecessor, the visit may be dominated by economic issues such as cash-strapped Ukraine's bills for Russian natural gas. Yanukovich, inaugurated last week, comes to Russia days after his first foreign trip as head of state, to Brussels, where he pledged to keep Ukraine on the reform path and ensure it remains a reliable gas transit route. Europe, which gets a fifth of its gas needs from Russia via Ukraine, is hoping Yanukovich's more pro-Russian stance can guarantee he will avoid repeating the price disputes which led to supply cuts to Europe in recent years. But many analysts believe Kiev's desperate public finances mean Yanukovich must change a long-term gas deal signed in 2009 by his election rival, former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, which made Russian gas more expensive for Ukraine than for most European countries. – Reuters