MOSCOW – Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned that Russia would cut natural gas to Ukraine if it wasn’t paid by a Saturday deadline, a threat that revived worries aboutsupply cuts to Europe .Ukraine’s national gas company told The Associated Press that payment would come by the end of Thursday.

Ukraine’s ability to pay has been undermined by a severe economic crisis. Clouding the situation, Ukraine’s national security service searched the offices of the gas company, Naftogaz, on Wednesday in a raid seen as part of a political fight between the president and prime minister that could hinder payments to Russia.