The resumption of gas deliveries followed an accord reached in a teleconference between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, Viktor Yushchenko. Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov explained that executives of Gazprom and Ukraine’s state-run energy giant Naftogaz also participated in the negotiations.
"They reached agreements to solve the crisis with gas deliveries to Ukraine," Kupriyanov said. "Gas delivered [to Ukraine] from January 1 to March 1, 2008, will be fully documented and paid for by Ukraine after a scheme affective as of the beginning of this year. Transit of Russian gas to Europe through Ukraine is unaffected. Restrictions on gas deliveries to Ukraine and consumers have been lifted."
Russia halved gas shipments to Ukraine, claiming it had some $600 million of unpaid bills for gas delivered in 2007. The apparent breakthrough came after the European Union urged Ukraine and Russia to overcome their differences. A row over payments in 2006 triggered energy shortages in parts of Europe.
ALLEGATIONS DENIED
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko denied Gazprom allegations that her country had threatened to siphon-off Russian gas destined for other European destinations to compensate for the shortfall in deliveries.
"Ukraine will deliver to the European Union all natural gas which Russia will give for transportation," said Tymoshenko, who in recent months attended prayer rallies against what she views as rampant corruption.
"Nobody should have any doubts about this. Naftogas is already doing more than required. Naftogaz is transporting as much natural gas to the European Union as Russia gives."
WESTERN REFORMS
Christian leaders, who played a key role in Ukraine’s 2004 Orange Revolution, see these developments as an attempt by Russia to use its influence over strategic gas and oil pipelines to Europe to prevent vital part of the old Soviet empire to join the West, the European Union, and perhaps even NATO.
"Russia will fight for Ukraine even more than it fought for the Baltic States or even Eastern Europe to retain its dominant position," said Ariel Cohen of the conservative Heritage Foundation think-tank in a recent interview with US-based Christian Broadcasting Network.
While the latest gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine seems to have been defused, it heightens concerns within the EU over its dependency on Russian energy. Ukraine is the main transit route for Russian gas supplies to the European Union, which relies on Russia for a quarter of its gas supplies. (BosNewsLife NEWS WATCH looks at news developments impacting the Church and/or compassionate professionals).
