ST. PETERSBURG, June 20 (RIA Novosti) – Many legal disputes are expected to arise between Russian and Ukrainian companies, but arbitration processes are better than tyranny and the use of force, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said during a speech at the International Legal Forum in St. Petersburg Friday.

“In the near future, there will be disputes between Russian and Ukrainian companies. This will give new grounds for [legal] discussions. But in any case, I would like to note that any type of arbitration process is an alternative to tyranny, the use of force, or the disregard of rights; therefore, it’s better to meet in courts than solve disputes otherwise,” the prime minister said.

Starting Monday, Russia’s gas giant Gazprom was forced to enact a prepayment system for gas deliveries to Ukraine after talks on the new price and debt payments mediated by EU Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger failed.

The same day, Gazrpom and Ukriane’s Naftogaz filed lawsuits against each other at the Stockholm Arbitration Court. The Russian company is seeking to recover the $4.5 billion debt owed by Naftogaz, while Naftogaz is in turn seeking $6 billion for “unfair” gas prices and asking the court to review the prices agreed upon in 2010.

Ukraine’s gas debt to Russia has been building since 2013, when the country found itself amid a deep political crisis. According to the latest estimates, Ukraine owes Russia $4.5 billion in unpaid bills, and has been running up more debt at a rate of some $1 billion per month. Kiev has been driving a hard bargain in its dispute with Moscow, pressing for a price of $268 per 1,000 cubic meters.