Talks continue in bid to defuse Russia-Ukraine gas dispute

Leaders from Ukraine and Moscow are scrambling to meet with officials in the European Union in an effort to find a resolution to a natural gas dispute that has left 15 European countries looking for alternative energy sources.

• Ukraine President Viktor Yushchenko met in Kiev with the Slovakian president, the prime minister of Moldova and Poland’s foreign minister. Russia and Ukraine remain deeply divided over the price Ukraine should pay for gas in 2009.
• Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin are scheduled to meet in Moscow on Saturday. The Czech Republic, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, is also expected to attend the meeting.
• “The European Commission believes that the meetings in coming days offer the last and best chance for Russia and Ukraine to demonstrate they are serious about resolving this dispute,” Commission spokesman Johannes Laitenberger said.
• German Chancellor Angela Merkel was also expected to meet with Putin on Friday and express that Russia and Ukraine must respect contractual obligations.
• Russia stopped selling gas to Ukraine for domestic use on Jan. 1 in a dispute over payment.
• Russia then accused Ukraine of siphoning Europe-bound gas and stopped sending any into Ukrainian pipelines on Jan. 7.
• Europe gets about one-quarter of its gas from Russia, with 80 per cent of that coming via pipelines that cross Ukraine.
• The hardest hit of the 18 countries affected by the gas cut-off include Bulgaria, Moldova and Bosnia.
• The cut-off, now in its 10th day, has forced thousands of factories in Eastern Europe to cut production or even close, and left countless residents shivering in the grip of winter.
• After a deal was signed on Monday, European Union monitors went to Ukraine to check on gas flows and Russia turned on the taps Tuesday but little or none of that gas has reached Europe.
• Russia alleges Ukraine is blocking shipments to European consumers. But Kiev says Russia wants to send gas along a route that would disrupt supplies to Ukrainian consumers.
• By MED. B.