KIEV, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine is ready to send
natural gas to Europe immediately if it receives deliveries from Russia,
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said Wednesday.
"If the gas is supplied today, it will be immediately
pumped to European countries," Tymoshenko said at a meeting with her Slovak
counterpart Robert Fico, who is in Kiev for talks on resuming gas supplies to
Europe.
Tymoshenko said Ukraine was "ready to cooperate with
Russia," stressing that Ukraine is a reliable gas supply partner for Russia and
the European Union (EU).
However, she stopped short of saying when Slovakia
would get Russian gas.
For his part, Fico urged Tymoshenko to hold direct
talks with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on resuming gas supplies to the
EU.
Russia's state-controlled gas monopoly Gazprom
started pumping gas to Europe Tuesday morning with EU observers monitoring the
process at a cross-border gas distribution station.
But some EU countries continued to grapple with the
cold winter without heating as no Russian gas reached its EU destinations.
Russia accused Ukraine of blocking the transit of gas
while Ukraine argued Russia's choice of gas route was technically "unacceptable"
as it would require Ukraine to cut domestic consumers out before it can deliver
gas to the Balkans.
Russia cut off gas supplies to Ukraine on Jan. 1
after the two sides failed to reach a new deal for 2009 and resolve debt issues.
Tensions built up when Russia shut off all gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine on
Jan. 7, accusing Ukraine of stealing gas.
Ukraine on Monday signed a new deal on monitoring
Russian gas transit to Europe, removing conditions that Russia had opposed and
clearing the final obstacle for Russia to resume gas supplies to
Europe.
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A worker walks at a measuring station of the Russian gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine pipelines, in Uzhgorod, western Ukraine, Jan. 12, 2008. The EU said on Sunday that its monitors had already reached most of their destination points and were already starting their monitoring work, a key condition Russia has insisted on before resuming gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine pipelines. (Xinhua/Ukrinform/Sergei Gudak)
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Ukraine says Russian choice of gas route technically "unacceptable"
KIEV, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Russia is trying hard to discredit Ukraine by sending natural gas bound for Europe on a technically "unacceptable" transit route over Ukraine's pipeline system, Ukrainian energy adviser Bohdan Sokolovski said on Tuesday.
"Russia shipped natural gas along a route that would require Ukraine to cut domestic consumers out before it can deliver gas to the Balkans," Sokolovski told reporters. Full story
Slovak, Bulgarian PMs to visit Moscow on gas issue, says Putin
MOSCOW, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Slovak and Bulgarian prime ministers will visit Moscow on Wednesday to discuss issues surrounding gas supplies to Europe, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Tuesday.
"I have just spoken to the prime ministers of Bulgaria and Slovakia, and we came to an agreement that tomorrow we are meeting in Moscow in order to look at the current situation," Interfax quoted Putin as saying. Full story
PM: Ukraine to use Russia gas as "technical gas"
KIEV, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said on Monday that it was up to Russia to provide "technical gas" needed to maintain pipeline pressure and keep supplies flowing in additional to the amounts actually due for delivery to customers in the European Union.
"Ukraine cannot unfortunately supply the gas to the European Union" without an additional 21 million cubic meters of "technical gas" per day from Russia, Tymoshenko told reporters during a visit to Yevpatoriya in southern Ukraine, according to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency. Full story
Roundup: Russia to resume gas supplies to Europe
BRUSSELS, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Russia will restore gas supply to Europe Tuesday after an interruption of nearly a week, the European Union (EU) said Monday.
Russia had promised to start pumping natural gas again to the 27-nation bloc via Ukraine after a deal on a monitoring mission was finally agreed upon, said Czech Industry and Trade Minister Martin Riman, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency. Full story
Medvedev: Russia not to resume gas supply to EU till deal revised
MOSCOW, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Russia will not apply a protocol on gas transit to its clients in the European Union until Ukraine retrieves its additional conditions in the contract, President Dmitry Medvedev said on Sunday.
"Such reservations and additions are nothing but mockery of common sense and violation of earlier agreements. In fact, they aim to thwart gas transit control," Itar-Tass news agency quoted Medvedev as saying during a meeting with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
