BRUSSELS, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU)
said on Wednesday it will send monitors to check the flow of Russian gas
intended for Europe via Ukraine after the supplies were completely cut off.
"We really hope that the Russians put the gas in the
... Ukrainian network and that Ukrainians do not interrupt the gas from Russia
coming to the European Union," Barroso told reporters in Prague after a meeting
with the Czech EU presidency.
"We have received assurances, both from (Russian)
Prime Minister Putin and (Ukrainian) Prime Minister Tymoshenko, that they both
accept international monitors to verify on the ground that this is really
working," he added.
All Russian gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine were
shut down earlier Wednesday as a pricing dispute between Russia and Ukraine
escalated, with both side blaming each other.
Ukraine's state-owned gas company Naftogaz alleged
Russia had cut off all gas supplies through Ukraine to Europe, while Russian gas
monopoly Gazprom said it was Kiev that stopped deliveries of Russian gas to
Europe.
But Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin later on
Wednesday approved a proposal by Gazprom to stop pumping gas to Europe via
Ukraine, accusing Kiev of "stealing" gas in transit.
Russia said it will only resume gas supplies until
international monitors are in place.
Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said both
Gazprom and Naftogaz officials and their government representatives had been
invited for a meeting in Brussels on Thursday, which will set technical
conditions of a monitoring mission.
"If this is agreed, nothing will stand in the way for
transit supplies to be restored ... That does not mean that success is
100percent assured," Topolanek said.
Russia cut off gas supplies to Ukraine on Jan. 1
after the two countries failed to reach an agreement on gas prices for 2009,
immediately resulting in disruptions of transit supplies to EU member states.
About a quarter of the gas used in the EU, or more
than 40 percent of the bloc's imports, comes from Russia.
Ukraine sits on the main transit route for Russia's
gas exports, with about 80 percent of Russian gas supplied to the EU passing
through it.
A similar dispute over gas prices between Kiev and
Moscow erupted in 2006 when Gazprom cut all gas supplies to Ukraine, raising
deep concerns among European customers.
Putin approves halt in gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine
MOSCOW, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Wednesday approved a proposal by the state-run gas monopoly Gazprom to completely cut off supplies to Europe via Ukraine.
During a meeting with Putin in the northern city of St. Petersburg, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller proposed to stop gas supplies through Ukraine, accusing Kiev of "stealing" gas in transit. Full story
Bulgaria to get EU money over Russian gas supplies cutoff
SOFIA, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Bulgaria is going to receive part of the five billion euro that the European Union had set aside to tackle the global financial crisis in order to deal with the effects of the cutoff of gas supplies as a result of the Russia-Ukraine price dispute, the Government Information Service reported Wednesday night. Full story
Bulgaria can live on gas shortage regime for 100 days: president
SOFIA, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Bulgaria faces no austerity measures in electricity consumption, and no termination of central heating, and its economy could function for up to 100 days on the country's reserves, Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov announced Wednesday. Full story
EU urged to reconsider role of natural gas
BRUSSELS, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- The natural gas shortfalls caused by a Russia-Ukraine dispute demonstrate the need for the European Union (EU) to reconsider the role for natural gas as a bridging fuel to sustainable energy, said the WWF on Wednesday.Full story
