Russian energy giant Gazprom early yesterday called on Ukraine to resume negotiations in a row that has seen Moscow cutting off all gas to its neighbor, accusing it of siphoning off supplies meant for Europe.
The appeal came as Kiev warned the EU the bloc could face “serious problems” with Russian gas deliveries transiting its territory.
“Since Dec. 31 Ukraine has refused to negotiate with Gazprom and has resorted to siphoning off gas intended for European consumers, in violation of its obligations as a country of transit,” Gazprom deputy chief executive Alexander Medvedev said in a statement. “We call on Ukraine to refrain from these illegal acts and to return to Moscow to negotiate, once and for all, a transaction on gas delivery that will be acceptable to the two sides.”
In what was seen as a softening of Gazprom’s position, Medvedev said: “We are ready to meet them immediately.”
On Saturday, Gazprom had announced it had decided to file a lawsuit against Ukraine’s state gas firm Naftogaz to ensure transit of Russian gas through Ukrainian territory to Europe.
“It’s not just a threat but a reality, they are stealing gas from the pipelines and underground facilities,” Medvedev said after talks in Berlin.
Medvedev, on a whistle-stop tour of European capitals to explain the Russian side of the gas dispute, said negotiating with Ukrainians was “like having a talk with people from the planet Mars.”
Naftogaz rebutted by warning it would file a counter-complaint if Gazprom made good its threat, Interfax-Ukraine reported.
Ukraine warned on Saturday that the gas conflict with Russia could lead to serious problems for Europe within 10 days.
Several EU states were already reporting shortfalls of up to 10 percent in Russian gas being piped through Ukraine, as the effects of the standoff between Moscow and Kiev began to be felt beyond the borders of the former Soviet Union.
As the war of words intensified after Moscow turned off the tap on Thursday, Russia accused Ukraine of stealing gas intended for Europe, while Ukraine alleged that Russia was under-supplying the EU.
Medvedev accused Kiev of stealing 35 million cubic meters of Russian gas a day intended for Europe.
“All the gas which was illegally taken will have to be paid for,” on top of the US$600 million outstanding in other debts, he told reporters in the Czech Republic, which currently holds the EU presidency.
Naftogaz denied the charge, claiming the Russians are not delivering the due quantities to European clients.
Gazprom chief executive Alexei Miller told a management meeting that Gazprom would be pumping additional gas to European customers via pipelines that circumvent Ukraine.
“In these circumstances, Gazprom is obliged to supply additional volumes of gas via other transport corridors,” he said.
‘CHINESE ASSET’: The senate cited Bamban Mayor Alice Guo in contempt after a police raid revealed a scam center operating at a facility on land she partially owned The Philippine Senate yesterday threatened to arrest a mayor for contempt during a hearing investigating her alleged ties to Chinese criminal syndicates. The arrest threat came after Bamban Mayor Alice Guo (郭華萍) failed to appear for a second consecutive hearing, citing stress. The case that began in March, when authorities raided a casino in Guo’s farming town of Bamban, has shed light on criminal activity in the mostly Chinese-backed online casino industry in the Philippines. It gained national attention after one senator asked whether Guo might not have been born in the Philippines and could even be a Chinese “asset,” an accusation she
‘DO WHATEVER’: US Representative Nancy Pelosi said on MSNBC the decision was up to Joe Biden, but her lack of a full statement backing him is likely to send a signal The re-election campaign of US President Joe Biden on Wednesday hit new trouble as US Representative Nancy Pelosi said merely “it’s up to the president to decide” if he should stay in the race, celebrity donor George Clooney said he should not run, and Democratic senators and lawmakers expressed fresh fear about his ability to challenge former US president Donald Trump. Late in the evening, US Senator Peter Welch called on Biden to withdraw from the election, becoming the first Senate Democrat to do so. Welch said he is worried because “the stakes could not be higher.” The sudden flurry of pronouncements, despite
THREATS: The Japanese leader signaled concern over Russia’s war in Ukraine, its deepening cooperation with North Korea and Chinese posturing against Taiwan Russia’s deepening military cooperation with North Korea has underlined the need for Japan to forge closer ties with NATO as regional security threats become increasingly intertwined, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told Reuters. In written remarks ahead of his attendance at a NATO summit in Washington this week, Kishida also signaled concern over Beijing’s alleged role in aiding Moscow’s two-year-old war in Ukraine, although he did not name China. “The securities of the Euro-Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific are inseparable, and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and its deepened military cooperation with North Korea are strong reminders of that,” Kishida said. “Japan is determined to
‘STARWARS’: The weapons would make South Korea the first country to deploy and operate laser weapons, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said South Korea is to deploy laser weapons to shoot down North Korean drones this year, becoming the world’s first country to deploy and operate such weapons in the military, the country’s arms procurement agency said yesterday. South Korea has called its laser program the “StarWars project.” The drone-zapping laser weapons that the South Korean military has developed with Hanwha Aerospace are effective and cheap, with each shot costing 2,000 won (US$1.45), and also quiet and “invisible,” the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said in a statement. “Our country is becoming the first country in the world to deploy and operate laser weapons, and