TODAY: Putin and Poroshenko agree on winter gas price; Ukraine has money to pay debt but not to pay upfront, Putin tells Europe to help out; Duma members want to act against ‘negative’ news; St. Petersburg lawmakers wants Finnish stamps banned; Lavrov says Russia will not accept sanctions conditions; state television slams German Gref and blames liberals for crisis; tennis head suspended for racist comment.

President Vladimir Putin and President Petro Poroshenko reached a preliminary agreement on a gas price for this winter’s supplies to Ukraine, though Naftogaz is currently facing a lack of funds and may require support from the IMF to meet costs.  Putin suggested that Europe ‘can and should lend a hand’ to help Ukraine pay upfront and ensure supplies.  Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk says his country has saved $500 million by replacing Russian gas supplies with reverse flows from Europe, and that Kiev now has the $1.3 billion needed in order to pay off its gas debt to Russia.  Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Russia will not accept the West’s conditions to end sanctions imposed in retaliation for the fighting in Ukraine, insisting that ‘Russia is doing more than anyone else to resolve the crisis’.  In retaliation, Russian consumer safety regulators are inspecting more than 200 McDonald’s restaurants around the country, temporarily closing nine thus far.  Members of the State Duma want the state to intervene against ‘negative’ news stories, sparking fears of more censorship.  A St. Petersburg lawmaker wants Russian Post to ban incoming mail from Finland bearing homoerotic postage stamps, on grounds that they violate the anti-gay propaganda law.  Several people were detained at a motor rally in Moscow yesterday held in protest of the city’s new parking policies.