European Commission in ‘intense’ talks on financing Kyiv gas buying
* Negotiations broke off in June
* Kyiv has halted Russian gas imports
* Commission urges two sides to meet
BRDO PRI KRANJU, Slovenia, July 9 (Reuters) – The European
Commission is in “intense communication” with Ukraine and
international institutions to help Kyiv pay for gas supplies for
next winter, Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic said on
Thursday.
Ukraine halted purchases from Russia’s Gazprom
this month after Commission-brokered talks on pricing failed
although Russian gas bound for Europe is still being piped
across the country.
About half of the Russian gas the European Union buys
follows this route. In total, Russia provides the EU with around
one third of its oil and gas needs.
“We are now in intense communication with Ukrainian
authorities but also international financial institutions,”
Sefcovic told Reuters at a conference in Slovenia.
“We are analysing the ways in which we can assist Ukraine in
financing gas purchases for the next heating season.”
Sefcovic said he had sent “issues papers” to Moscow and Kyiv
to seek ways to close the rift between the two after the
breakdown of their gas talks in Vienna on June 30.
“We would like to get their answers in a short period of
time and I suggested to both Russia and Ukraine to have quite
extensive bilateral meetings by the end of August to make sure
that when we see each other next time we have realistic chances
of succeeding,” he said.
The aim is to secure a gas deal that would allow Ukraine to
top up its storage and ensure security of supply for the peak
demand winter heating season.
(Reporting by Marja Novak in Slovenia; writing by Barbara
Lewis; editing by Jason Neely)
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