Friday

29th Mar 2024

Barroso warns Russia against cutting Ukraine gas

  • EU commission president says Russia must maintain gas flows to Ukraine (Photo: Naftogaz of Ukraine)

The EU on Wednesday (21 May) warned Russia against interrupting gas supplies to Ukraine amid threats by state-owned Gazprom to cut flows.

“As long as the trilateral talks are on-going, gas flows should not be interrupted. I count on the Russian Federation to maintain this commitment,” said European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso in a letter to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

Barroso’ letter comes after Putin threatened to halt supplies unless Ukraine pays back €2.55 billion for gas already delivered.

Russia supplies around 50 percent of Ukraine's gas requirements. It also supplies 30 percent of Europe's gas, mostly via Ukraine.

Gazprom has also threatened to cut supplies in June unless Ukraine starts to pay in advance for future shipments.

“Given the circumstances, the Russian company has issued an advance invoice for gas deliveries to Ukraine, which is completely in accordance with the contract, and after June 1 gas deliveries will be limited to the amount prepaid by the Ukrainian company,” Putin warned, the BBC reports.

Barroso noted that gas talks kicked off in early May between EU energy commissioner Gunther Oettinger and his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts.

“The discussions held have in particular covered the issue of the price for gas supplies to Ukraine and have established the willingness of the Government of Ukraine to pay the agreed upon arrears,” he said.

He noted Gazprom must also ensure deliveries of the required volumes as agreed in the supply contracts with European companies.

Russia had late last year offered a 33 percent discount on gas, along with a $15 billion loan, to Ukraine’s Yanukovich-led government.

But the discounted $270 (€198) per 1,000 cubic metres price has since doubled with Gazprom now demanding $485 (€350) per 1,000 cubic metres.

Oettinger, for his part, earlier this week announced a compromise to resolve the gas dispute with Russia could be reached by the end of the month.

The commissioner is set to meet Russian energy minister Alexander Novak and Ukrainian energy minister Yuriy Prodan for a second round of talks in Berlin on 26 May.

US and EU breaking taboos to restrain Israel

The US abstained and all EU states on the UN Security Council backed a call for an "immediate ceasefire" in Gaza, as Europe prepares to also blacklist extremist Israeli settlers.

EU warns Russia over Moscow terror attacks

Europe has warned Russia not to use the weekend's terror attacks in Moscow as a pretext to escalate its war in Ukraine and crackdown on internal dissent.

Opinion

Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Rather than assuming a pro-European Labour government in London will automatically open doors in Brussels, the Labour party needs to consider what it may be able to offer to incentivise EU leaders to factor the UK into their defence thinking.

Latest News

  1. Kenyan traders react angrily to proposed EU clothes ban
  2. Lawyer suing Frontex takes aim at 'antagonistic' judges
  3. Orban's Fidesz faces low-polling jitters ahead of EU election
  4. German bank freezes account of Jewish peace group
  5. EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania
  6. 'Swiftly dial back' interest rates, ECB told
  7. Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza
  8. Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us