'The Pipeline Power Play'

[FarCenter]

Russia cut off natural gas supplies passing through Ukraine to Europe on Wednesday, at a time when the continent is covered in ice with record low temperatures. The gas dispute between the countries is warming German commentators to the idea of major changes in the country's energy policies.

As the gas dispute between Gazprom and Ukraine heats up, things are getting much colder Wednesday in Western Europe as reports emerge that Russia has completely cut off gas supplies piped through Ukraine.

"It was the Russian side's decision to stop all gas deliveries to Europe (through Ukraine)," Oleh Dubina, the head of Ukraine's state-owned gas company Naftogaz, told reporters early Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. Before the reported shutoff, countries across Europe, including Turkey, had reported either substantial drops or complete halts in supplies of natural gas originating from Russia.

The escalating gas dispute has been marked by competing claims. Moscow accuses Kiev of having failed to pay for and having siphoned off gas that had been intended for Western Europe. Ukraine rejects these accusations and, instead, says that it is Russia which is not supplying enough and charging too much for gas. On January 1, after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on prices and transit fees, Gazprom cut off supplies.

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http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,599934,00.html

The article has a good map of pipelines between Russia and Europe.