The European Union said on Wednesday that Russia and Ukraine would accept using international monitors to verify the transit of natural gas from Russia through Ukraine's pipelines.　　

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said EU will send monitors to check the flow of Russian gas intended for Europe via Ukraine.

"So we really hope that the Russians put the gas in the network, Ukrainian network, and that the Ukrainians do not interrupt the gas from Russia to come to European Union.　We have received assurances, both from Prime Minister Putin and Prime Minister Tymoshenko that they both accept international monitors to verify on the ground that this is really working."

An international mediation has become urgent as on Wednesday Russia shut off all its gas supplies to Europe through Ukraine, leaving tens of thousands of people in more than a dozen countries without heat.

Russia and Ukraine are scheduled to resume negotiations Thursday to solve the pricing dispute, which triggered the gas row in the new year.