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Gas war heats up as Europe freezes
Source: Agencies |
January 15, 2009, Thursday
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LEADERS of gas-starved European nations pressed Ukraine and Russia to restore supplies immediately yesterday as the EU threatened both with legal action for ripping apart the continent's winter heating plans.
But the natural gas drought persisted along with virulent mutual recriminations between the two countries. Russia Prime Minister Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of holding Europe hostage, while Kiev said Russia was deliberately erecting technical obstacles to delivering gas to Europe through Ukrainian pipelines.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso called the situation "unacceptable and incredible." "If the agreement is not honored, it means that Russia and Ukraine can no longer be considered reliable partners for the European Union in matters of energy supply," Barroso told the European Parliament.
European Union countries had hoped supplies would be restored on Tuesday after they brokered a deal sending EU monitors to keep tabs on the flow of gas. Europe relies on Russia for about a quarter of its gas, 80 percent of that delivered via Ukraine.
Ukraine said the route that Gazprom demanded would force Ukraine to halt domestic gas supplies to a large swath of territory.
Putin said it was up to Ukraine to make the deliveries possible.
"We opened the tap, and are ready to supply gas, but on the other side, the tap is closed," Putin told the prime ministers of Bulgaria, Slovakia and Moldova. Bulgaria has lost all its gas supplies, and Slovakia nearly all.
The Ukrainian president says Russia is using the dispute to gain control of Ukraine's gas transit network.
Viktor Yushchenko says Russia's gas monopoly Gazprom wants to charge Ukraine an unjustly high price in order to drive it into debt and later acquire a stake in its pipeline network. Visiting Poland yesterday, Yushchenko said he will not allow that to happen.
But the natural gas drought persisted along with virulent mutual recriminations between the two countries. Russia Prime Minister Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of holding Europe hostage, while Kiev said Russia was deliberately erecting technical obstacles to delivering gas to Europe through Ukrainian pipelines.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso called the situation "unacceptable and incredible." "If the agreement is not honored, it means that Russia and Ukraine can no longer be considered reliable partners for the European Union in matters of energy supply," Barroso told the European Parliament.
European Union countries had hoped supplies would be restored on Tuesday after they brokered a deal sending EU monitors to keep tabs on the flow of gas. Europe relies on Russia for about a quarter of its gas, 80 percent of that delivered via Ukraine.
Ukraine said the route that Gazprom demanded would force Ukraine to halt domestic gas supplies to a large swath of territory.
Putin said it was up to Ukraine to make the deliveries possible.
"We opened the tap, and are ready to supply gas, but on the other side, the tap is closed," Putin told the prime ministers of Bulgaria, Slovakia and Moldova. Bulgaria has lost all its gas supplies, and Slovakia nearly all.
The Ukrainian president says Russia is using the dispute to gain control of Ukraine's gas transit network.
Viktor Yushchenko says Russia's gas monopoly Gazprom wants to charge Ukraine an unjustly high price in order to drive it into debt and later acquire a stake in its pipeline network. Visiting Poland yesterday, Yushchenko said he will not allow that to happen.
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