Russia cuts gas flow to Europe, countries report

**~~Aemma~~** · 01-06-2009, 04:17 PM

EU condemns shutoff as 'completely unacceptable'
Last Updated: Tuesday, January 6, 2009 | 9:33 AM ET Comments70Recommend54

CBC News

Reductions in supply by Russia's state gas company halted natural gas flow to several European states Tuesday and severely cut back supply to other nations amid its price dispute with Ukraine, officials in those countries said.

Pipelines to Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Romania, Croatia and Turkey were shut off at about 3 a.m., a Bulgarian government official said. Another official, with the Bulgarian state gas company Bulgargaz, told the Reuters news agency that "the flow has dropped very significantly" and that her country was preparing emergency measures.

The European Union called the sudden cut-off to some of its member countries "completely unacceptable" on Tuesday.

In a strongly worded statement, the EU said gas had been cut "without prior warning and in clear contradiction with the reassurances given by the highest Russian and Ukrainian authorities to the European Union."

Ukraine's gas company Naftogaz said Gazprom had cut natural gas supplies to Europe by two-thirds.

"Responsibility for possible changes in gas transit — and reduction of its supply to European consumers — lies with Naftogaz," said Gazprom officials.

Naftogaz spokesman Valentyn Zemlyansky said Gazprom sent only 92 million cubic metres of gas for European consumers Tuesday, down from 221 million Monday or about 300 million during previous days. The drop in supplies could not be immediately confirmed.

Gazprom said late Monday it would cut the amount of gas it ships to Europe through Ukraine by 65.3 million cubic metres.

"That is all they are sending, in several hours Europe will feel it," Zemlyansky said.

Some European countries are already experiencing supply problems after Russia cut off supplies to its neighbour on Jan. 1 over pricing disagreements and outstanding debt.

Europe relies on Russia for a quarter of its natural gas, and 80 per cent of it goes through pipelines that cross Ukraine.

Talks scheduled
There were no reports of face-to-face talks Tuesday between Ukraine and Russia. But the two countries will hold new talks to end their bitter natural gas dispute on Thursday, when Naftogaz head Oleh Dubina will travel to Moscow to meet with Alexei Miller, chief executive of Russia's Gazprom.

In the latest round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, Gazprom toughened its stance Sunday, saying it wants to charge Ukraine as much as $450 per 1,000 cubic metres in January, up from its offer before the cut-off of $250, which Kiev turned down.

"Our Russian partners are playing cat and mouse with us," said Oleksandr Shlapak, economic adviser to Ukraine's president. "These actions today can lead to serious problems not only for the Ukrainian but also for the European gas transport systems."

Russia's latest reductions appear aimed at putting pressure on Ukraine, which is refusing to pay $600 million Gazprom claims it is owed.

Kiev denies allegations it is stealing gas, saying Russia is to blame for the disruption because it refuses to supply the gas needed to run its pipelines, including the compressor stations that pump gas west.

Each side says the other is responsible for supplying the gas to run the pipeline network, but there is no way to sort out the conflicting claims because details of the transit contract are secret.

Ukraine, one of the largest consumers of gas in the world, says it has enough gas reserves to last for weeks.

Some Western analysts have suggested Russia is using the current crisis to weaken Ukraine's government. But Gazprom insists the dispute is purely a commercial matter. Both nations have been hit hard by the global economic slowdown.

Gazprom last cut off supplies to Ukraine and much of Europe in 2006 in a previous dispute. That prompted many Western European countries to build up large strategic reserves of natural gas that could be tapped in the following days if shortages ensue.

Meanwhile, Iran has said it may be able to increase its natural gas supplies to Turkey if a shortfall is created by the cut-off of Russian gas supplies, an Iranian Embassy source told Reuters on Tuesday.

Bulgaria, which gets almost all its gas from Russia, said it would seek the reopening of a nuclear power facility as two cities were left without gas.

With files from the Associated Press

**Hors** · 01-06-2009, 04:49 PM

Kiev denies allegations it is stealing gas, saying Russia is to blame for the disruption because it refuses to supply the gas needed to run its pipelines, including the compressor stations that pump gas west.

Russia paid the transit fees in advance. It's Kiev's problem. It may use its own gas or buy it from Russia at European prices.

Each side says the other is responsible for supplying the gas to run the pipeline network, but there is no way to sort out the conflicting claims because details of the transit contract are secret.

No, they're not. The Western media is trying to mislead the public again, not telling the truth that it's corrupted and bankrupted Ukraine which is guilty that the Russian gas is not reaching its European consumers.

Ukraine, one of the largest consumers of gas in the world, says it has enough gas reserves to last for weeks

The real problem is that Ukraine DOES NOT have sufficient reserves. Everything is already stolen. They can not even pump out the Russian gas from their gas storage facilities, as it would completely deplete them, and it will lead to total destruction of the storage facilities.

So Ukrainians have to steal much more gas than needed for the "technical use". Ukraine is on the brink of collapse of its communal and social infrastructure.

**~~Treffie~~** · 01-07-2009, 08:04 AM

^But if Russia's not careful, many European nations will start to source their gas supplies from a more reliable supplier. Even if Ukraine is spoiling it for Russia, is there any need for Russia to spoil it for everyone else?

**Absinthe** · 01-07-2009, 10:02 AM

No, they're not. The Western media is trying to mislead the public again, not telling the truth that it's corrupted and bankrupted Ukraine which is guilty that the Russian gas is not reaching its European consumers.

I basically don't care whose fault it is, I know that I have been paying for a certain service and very soon I'm not gonna be getting it (and this winter has been rather cold!).

If Russia and Ukraine cannot resolve their own problems, I wish my country would chose an alternative provider.

**Hors** · 01-07-2009, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by Sveyn

^But if Russia's not careful, many European nations will start to source their gas supplies from a more reliable supplier.

There is only one alternative supplier: IRAN. But it could hardly be considered reliable, not to mention that its gas production is minimal and needs a lot of investment and time to be sufficiently increased. And, of course, the pipeline should go throu such "peaceful" areas as Kurdistan...

Even if Ukraine is spoiling it for Russia, is there any need for Russia to spoil it for everyone else?

Yes. The Ukraine itself is on the stake.

**Damilkyway** · 01-07-2009, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by Hors

The Ukraine itself is on the stake.

Are you suggesting an Ossetian/Abkhasian solution?

**Hors** · 01-07-2009, 05:36 PM

No, of course not. It should be just disintegration, the way it started 2 years ago, when it was stopped by the West. Well, the result is that the West is freezing its arse off, and will not meddle in again