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Putin to hear EU president's plea for gas
Source: Agencies |
January 10, 2009, Saturday
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Online Edition
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THE president of the European Union was to hold crisis talks today with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, in an effort to end a four-day halt to Russian gas shipments through Ukraine that has slashed power and heat to parts of a wintry Europe.
Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, who holds the rotating EU presidency, was expected to speak with Putin a day after Ukraine balked at signing a monitoring agreement that Russia demands before its gas shipments can resume.
European Union experts arrived in Ukraine's capital, Kiev, Friday prepared to monitor the flow of gas and act as referees in a bitter economic battle between the two former Soviet states.
But there were no gas shipments for EU monitors to track early today, as Russia refused to resume pumping and Ukraine's vast pipeline system remained shut down.
Russia and Ukraine could not agree on details of the monitoring pact, and Russia said it would only resume gas deliveries to Europe via Ukraine after a written deal is signed.
Russia says the monitors are needed to prevent what it described as Ukraine's theft of supplies meant for Europe - a charge Kiev hotly denies.
"Our goal is to show who is to blame for stealing gas," Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said. "Such thievery can't be left unaccountable."
Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko angrily rejected the allegation.
"Ukraine is not stealing gas," he told reporters.
The Russian natural gas giant Gazprom halted the shipment of gas intended for Ukraine Jan. 1 after negotiations over a new gas contract broke down.
But the crisis escalated, as Russia accused Ukraine of siphoning Russian gas intended for Europe.
Russia finally turned off the taps on all gas shipped through Ukraine Wednesday, ending or reducing gas supplies to more than a dozen European nations.
The main cause of the current crisis seems to be a commercial dispute over gas transit and prices.
But relations between the two countries deteriorated after the 2004 Orange Revolution in Ukraine led to the election of a pro-Western government in Kiev.
Russia in the past has sold gas to Ukraine and some other former Soviet neighbors at prices significantly lower than those it charges Europe.
Medvedev said Friday that Ukraine should pay a European price for the Russian gas. Last year, Russia charged Ukraine US$179.50 per 1,000 cubic meters, about half what it charged its European customers.
Gazprom is currently demanding US$450 per 1,000 cubic meters, a price that could hit Ukraine's consumers and heavy industry hard at a time when the country is suffering a sharp economic downturn.
EU governments have criticized both Russia and Ukraine for the crisis, saying it was unacceptable to see homes unheated, businesses closed and schools shut down in the middle of winter because of the commercial squabble.
Russia, Ukraine and the EU all said Friday the final agreement could be finalized soon, but the deal remained in limbo as Russia and Ukraine argued over details of the monitoring agreement.
The disruption of Russian gas supplies comes in the midst of a harsh winter. At least 11 people have frozen to death this week in Europe, including 10 in Poland, where temperatures have sunk to minus 13 F (minus 25 C).
Fifteen countries - Austria, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey - said their Russian supplies ceased Wednesday. Germany and Poland also reported substantial drops in supplies.
Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, who holds the rotating EU presidency, was expected to speak with Putin a day after Ukraine balked at signing a monitoring agreement that Russia demands before its gas shipments can resume.
European Union experts arrived in Ukraine's capital, Kiev, Friday prepared to monitor the flow of gas and act as referees in a bitter economic battle between the two former Soviet states.
But there were no gas shipments for EU monitors to track early today, as Russia refused to resume pumping and Ukraine's vast pipeline system remained shut down.
Russia and Ukraine could not agree on details of the monitoring pact, and Russia said it would only resume gas deliveries to Europe via Ukraine after a written deal is signed.
Russia says the monitors are needed to prevent what it described as Ukraine's theft of supplies meant for Europe - a charge Kiev hotly denies.
"Our goal is to show who is to blame for stealing gas," Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said. "Such thievery can't be left unaccountable."
Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko angrily rejected the allegation.
"Ukraine is not stealing gas," he told reporters.
The Russian natural gas giant Gazprom halted the shipment of gas intended for Ukraine Jan. 1 after negotiations over a new gas contract broke down.
But the crisis escalated, as Russia accused Ukraine of siphoning Russian gas intended for Europe.
Russia finally turned off the taps on all gas shipped through Ukraine Wednesday, ending or reducing gas supplies to more than a dozen European nations.
The main cause of the current crisis seems to be a commercial dispute over gas transit and prices.
But relations between the two countries deteriorated after the 2004 Orange Revolution in Ukraine led to the election of a pro-Western government in Kiev.
Russia in the past has sold gas to Ukraine and some other former Soviet neighbors at prices significantly lower than those it charges Europe.
Medvedev said Friday that Ukraine should pay a European price for the Russian gas. Last year, Russia charged Ukraine US$179.50 per 1,000 cubic meters, about half what it charged its European customers.
Gazprom is currently demanding US$450 per 1,000 cubic meters, a price that could hit Ukraine's consumers and heavy industry hard at a time when the country is suffering a sharp economic downturn.
EU governments have criticized both Russia and Ukraine for the crisis, saying it was unacceptable to see homes unheated, businesses closed and schools shut down in the middle of winter because of the commercial squabble.
Russia, Ukraine and the EU all said Friday the final agreement could be finalized soon, but the deal remained in limbo as Russia and Ukraine argued over details of the monitoring agreement.
The disruption of Russian gas supplies comes in the midst of a harsh winter. At least 11 people have frozen to death this week in Europe, including 10 in Poland, where temperatures have sunk to minus 13 F (minus 25 C).
Fifteen countries - Austria, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey - said their Russian supplies ceased Wednesday. Germany and Poland also reported substantial drops in supplies.
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