Ukraine-Russia gas talks ongoing
Moscow and Kyiv have once again failed to seal a deal on gas supplies, but say they will meet again next week in the hope of finalizing a long awaited agreement.
Cut off from Russian gas since June, and facing what could be a long cold winter, Ukraine entered Tuesday’s gas talks in Brussels eager to strike a deal.
For Russia the key sticking point remained Kyiv’s inability to pay its outstanding gas bill of around five billion dollars.
Ukraine’s energy minister said his country was prepared to pay more than three billion dollars by the end of the year.
“We are working towards a compromise and we are prepared to continue to work towards this compromise,” said Yuri Prodan, Ukraine’s Energy Minister.
One agreement emerged-the price tag for Russian gas deliveries to Ukraine until next March if supplies resume.
“All partners agreed to a gas price of 385 dollars per thousand cubic meters. The Russian partners have guaranteed this price. Therefore, it cannot be changed unilaterally, neither by the Parliament, nor the government,” said Gunther Oettinger, European Commisioner for Energy.
So a deal appears to be inching closer.
The talks followed a series of discussions between Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and European leaders on the sidelines of an Asia-Europe summit in Italy.
The European Union relies on Russia for about thirty percent of its gas, half of which flows through Ukraine.
So the EU, which is brokering the talks, is just as keen as Russia and Ukraine to see a final agreement reached.
All parties will meet again next week at the European Commission in one more attempt to reach an acceptable compromise that will see the gas taps to Ukraine opened once more.