European Commission says Ukraine blocking resumed gas flows

[FarCenter]

Source: Deutsche Welle

The European Commission has confirmed reports that Ukraine is blocking gas meant to flow to European Union markets. A spokesman in Brussels said that "little or no gas" was flowing from Russia through the Ukraine to Europe and demanded that the situation change. Russian gas company Gazprom said the Ukrainians were blocking gas again destined for Europe. Earlier Gazprom officials ordered the resumption of gas supplies through Ukraine to Europe following an EU-brokered monitoring deal. Hundreds of thousands of people in Europe have been left without gas since a contract dispute came to a head with Russia shutting off supplies last week. Moscow has accused Kiev of siphoning off gas meant for European customers.


Read more: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/function/0,,12215_cid_3943138,00.html

[DS1]

1. Dammit Pootie-Poot, stop withholding the gas!

[FarCenter]

2. He has -- Ukraine is blocking it

[Robbien]

5. That was sarcasm I believe

Regardless of all facts, the media will continue to demonize and blame Russia.

[redqueen]

3. So does this mean the monitoring deal was put into effect?

It'll be nice to see an end to the finger-pointing.

[dipsydoodle]

6. the only finger-pointing necessary

is at the Ukrainians.

"Ukraine didn't open the route for gas transit," he <Mr Medvedev>,said.

"If the system is closed, we can't provide gas. The Ukrainian side cynically informed us that the gas transport system had been reoriented to domestic consumers.

"We don't know what to do at the moment."

After the gas was switched on at Sudzha, Ukrainian gas company Naftogaz demanded "the immediate resumption of even supply of gas along all transit routes", saying the amount and direction of the gas had not been agreed by the two sides.

[FarCenter]

8. The deal was signed, but it is not really in effect

The addition by Tymoshenko of Ukraine was removed and the deal signed.

Not all observers have gotten access to all stations.

Russia started to flow some gas at Sudzha, but apparently the low volume test delivery was blocked by Ukraine.

They are now arguing over the routes to use for export.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20090113/119472042.html

URGENT: Gazprom turns down alternative gas routes proposed by Ukraine

19:21 | 13/ 01/ 2009

MOSCOW, January 13 (RIA Novosti) - Gazprom will use the Sudzha route for gas deliveries to Europe but not the alternative routes proposed by Ukraine because they are not export pipelines, a Gazprom official said on Tuesday.

"Valuika and Pisarevka are not export points, but they service Ukraine's domestic consumers. We have no intention to supply gas to Ukraine as no contract has been signed," said Alexander Medvedev, a deputy chairman of Gazprom's management committee.

[redqueen]

14. Yes, and this is the second such deal, right?

Let's hope the monitors get in there soon.

[dipsydoodle]

4. That was apparent this morning GMT

Here's the BBC link which has since been updated to a later time :

Russia said gas started flowing from the Russian pumping station at Sudzha at 1030 local time (0730 GMT) on Tuesday.

This was later confirmed by EU monitors, although the amount of gas, they said, was "very limited".

Mr Medvedev said Gazprom had informed the European Commission it was unable to supply gas through Ukraine because Kiev had not opened any export pipelines.

"Ukraine didn't open the route for gas transit," he said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7826142.stm

[WriteDown]

7. How exactly do they determine this?

If gas isn't getting to the end of the pipe, there is two possibilities.

1) Russia has the gas shut off at the other end.
2) The Ukraine is siphoning gas someway mid-pipe.

How exactly do you determine which is actually happening?

[FarCenter]

9. The deal called for stationing EU observers at the points where gas enters and leaves Ukraine

There are metering devices where the pipelines cross the borders.

[WriteDown]

10. If that is the case.....

Can't they determine EXACTLY where the gas is being siphoned from. Seems like they could list the location.

[FarCenter]

12. I don't think that the agreement calls for observers at internal branch points

So if gas is diverted, they would not know where within Ukraine it happened.

[lovuian]

11. Ukraine is bringing EU to its knees

and Russia

they want a piece of the action

[FarCenter]

13. The EU is mostly OK -- it is the former soviet satellite countries that are most affected

Germany, Austria, Italy and west have other resources. Poland receives supplies directly. It is Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria that are most affected.

[Ghost Dog]

18. All of the countries you name are members of the EU.

http://europa.eu/abc/european_countries/index_en.htm

[muriel_volestrangler]

15. Background from an expert - 'Jerome a Paris'

9th January:

EU says agreement on monitoring gas flow via Ukraine reached
Russia ready to pay market price for gas transit via Ukraine - PM

When you look at the numbers provided by Vladimir Putin in that article (an increase in the transit tariff from $1.6 to $3.4 per 1000 cubic meters per 100km), one can only notice that he is effectively reducing the net gas bill of Ukraine to Gazprom by the same amount that they wanted to increase it with respect to gas prices. That means, that just like every other year, Ukraine will get about 25 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas in exchange for the transit of Russian gas to Europe, ie Gazprom gets no money for that volume. Now, officially, all the gas sold to Ukraine (50 bcm) comes via RosUkrEnergo (about which questions are finally beginning ot be raised in the Western media). RUE is half-owned by Gazprom (thus the first 25 bcm of deliveries) and half by Centragas, officially owned by Ukrainian businessmen Firtash and Fursin. The real stakes are not what's happening with the 25 bcm provided by Gazprom, which generate no cash, it's what happens with the other half of the business.

There is no political, economic or diplomatic reason for that structure to be in place, both governments officially call for it to be dismantled, and yet, year in and year out, it remains. Why? Who is powerful enough to instrumentalize the official international policies of the two countries, and put them in the middle of an international crisis?

Maybe the EU could ask these questions, now that the urgency is fading?

http://www.eurotrib.com/story/2009/1/9/5822/93987

13th January:

Is Gazprom really expecting Europe to take its side against Ukraine?

It looks to me that Gazprom seems to be thinking that it had successfully managed to put the blame for the conflict on the Ukrainians, and was trying to push its advantage and finally separate the issue of payment for gas delivered to Ukraine from that of the transit of gas (thanks to the European monitors enlisted to put the blame on Ukraine for blocking further gas deliveries).

But it looks like we're back to square one: the Ukrainians will not accept to pay for the portion of the gas delivered by Gazprom, and will still hold transit hostage to impose that. It will be interesting to see Europe's reaction, but I don't see them taking sides in favor of Russia in this conflict.
...
Gazprom's main asset has been its reliability. Its extended shenanigans in Ukraine (where their case, once again, is rather narrow and weak, altogether) are endangering this a lot more than they improve prospects for additional revenue from Ukraine.

Unless, of course, this is still about the sharing of the behind-the-scenes loot. In which case, Europe might wonder how private interests can hijack the highest decision-making levels of a country for so long...

http://www.eurotrib.com/story/2009/1/13/72727/6938

[redqueen]

17. Interesting.

Thanks for another perspective.

[Tempest]

16. Russia and the EU should build a direct pipeline around Ukraine

And let the Ukraine find their own source of natural gas.

[dipsydoodle]

19. That will happen anyway but it obviously takes time.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch , the issue is having its inevitable effect :

A poll released on Tuesday found that President Viktor Yushchenko's approval rating stands at just 2.4 per cent.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/4229854/Russia-accused-of-playing-trick-as-gas-turned-off-again.html

[dipsydoodle]

20. delete - duplicated itself