Russia could cut off gas to Ukraine by 'end of week'

[webfact]

Russia could cut off gas to Ukraine by 'end of week'

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia could cut off supplies to neighboring Ukraine by the end of the week if it does not get further payments from the country, state-owned gas company Gazprom said Thursday.

Spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said in televised remarks that "if no new funds are received from Kiev, then naturally we cannot continue delivering gas to Ukraine." He did not specify the sum.

Despite the threat, Russian and Ukrainian energy ministers are set to meet in Brussels on Monday, making an immediate cutoff unlikely.

Following a bruising dispute over prices and debt that raised fears of supply disruptions in Europe, Russia and Ukraine signed a deal in October requiring Kiev to pay in advance for gas shipments. Ukraine is struggling financially, however, and has recent agreed on a new international bailout package it has yet to tap.

The European Union has stepped in to help settle the dispute. "We are inviting the parties here to hear their views and then try to mediate a settlement," said Anna-Kaisa Itkonen, European Commission spokeswoman.

Kupriyanov said that discussions with Ukraine's gas company, Naftogaz, were ongoing, but gave no other details.

Gazprom's ultimatum came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement that Ukraine's latest payment would only be good for "another three to four days." Putin warned that Russia would turn off the tap if Ukraine fails to remit payment quickly, but did not set a concrete deadline for the halting of deliveries.

It is unclear whether Ukraine, which is on the brink of bankruptcy as a protracted fight against Russia-backed separatists in the east continues to erode the country's economy, is capable of paying.

The International Monetary Fund agreed this month to give Ukraine a new bailout deal worth 15.5 billion euro ($17.5 billion). The pledge of new funding came as a previous aid package to Ukraine, which had already received $4.6 billion last year, ran into trouble.

The latest gas dispute erupted last week after Ukraine cut gas supplies to areas in the east controlled by Russia-backed rebels, and Russia began pumping gas directly to the east, saying they should be counted as part of the overall volume of its gas exports.

Gazprom argued that pumping gas through entry points in eastern Ukraine is in line with the contract, while Ukraine protested that, arguing it can't manage gas distribution in areas outside its control.

Putin on Wednesday angrily denounced Ukraine's decision to halt gas supplies to eastern regions, home to 4.5 million people, saying it "smacks of genocide."

"If the Ukrainian authorities consider it part of their territory, they should be fully responsible for the situation there," he said. "And if it's not so, they should openly say that."

Kupriyanov said that for now, Russia was willing to "set aside" the issue of whether gas delivered to rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine should be considered a part of Ukraine's gas bill.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-02-27

[Baerboxer]

A Russian would know about genocide in the Ukraine.

[wabothai]

A nasty and inhumane way of blackmailing a country in war and in desperacy .

Ruthless folks those Russians as we all know by now.

[Mosha]

They need the money. The parliament voted themselves a 10% wage cut, and now government workers will be paid less. I'm not sure if that's just civil servants or state employees.

[Asiantravel]

A nasty and inhumane way of blackmailing a country in war and in desperacy .

Ruthless folks those Russians as we all know by now.

I have no idea how you come to that conclusion.

Is Russia expected to provide free gas?

[Loptr]

This is a threat to Kiev to turn the gas back on to eastern Ukraine and Crimea...

Kyiv’s suspension of gas flow to eastern Ukraine ‘smells of genocide’ says Putin

http://www.euronews.com/2015/02/25/kyiv-s-suspension-of-gas-flow-to-eastern-ukraine-smells-of-genocide-says-putin/

[Asiantravel]

Ruthless folks those Ukrainans as we all know by now.

[ScarpoFongness4U]

Putin is the elected leader of his country

Ukraine has a NATO - CIA puppet whose army is being defeated as will any reinforcements sent by the US

I'm not saying I believe the Russians are superior to US forces, but they are not any weaker, especially considering the WW2 ERA weaponry that is currently being deployed in Ukraine

Same w ISIS. The US could clear the deserts if they wanted too, but, far better for Toyota to continue to supply pickups with machine guns, than laser guiding anti tank missiles and soon, I'm sure we will hear about a large order of Apache helicopters going to Jordan, and F-35' and new us made APC's to Saudi Arabia

[F430murci]

This is a threat to Kiev to turn the gas back on to eastern Ukraine and Crimea...

Kyiv’s suspension of gas flow to eastern Ukraine ‘smells of genocide’ says Putin

http://www.euronews.com/2015/02/25/kyiv-s-suspension-of-gas-flow-to-eastern-ukraine-smells-of-genocide-says-putin/

As you know, Russia is already supplying gas to that portion of Eastern Ukraine territory taken over by rebels/Russia so how is that genocide except for Putin propaganda statement that he fed to Russians to make it appear as if the newly acquired Eastern Ukraine territories are left in the cold.

Why should Ukraine pay for and supply gas to territory controlled by rebels/Russia and occupied by the troops shelling Ukraine and taking over Ukraine territory. Russia should be supplying gas to this territory exactly as they are now.

Ukraine just made another advanced gas payment of $ 15mn, but Russia said that only provides one more day of gas so gas will be cut off Tuesday. What a coincidence that $ 15 mn only last until Tuesday given the meeting on Monday in Brussels.

In reality, Russia is just extorting pressure on Ukraine to strike a less than favorable deal with Russia in Brussels on Monday or the day before Russia said it will cut the gas off. These are the same tactics Russia used with the Ukraine in late 2013 by forcing Ukraine to cancel its loan agreement with the EU and enter an absolutely horrid, mafia like loan agreement with Russia. Poor Ukraine, destined to be Putin's beootcch and whipping stock country.

Edited February 27, 2015 by F430murci

[wooloomooloo]

A non-story in so much as this is an annual event.

[F430murci]

This is how Putin deals with a Russian political opposition staging an anti-Ukrainian war rally in Moscow.

----------

Russia opposition politician Boris Nemtsov shot dead

. . .

According to Russian-language news website Meduza, "several people" got out of a car and shot him.

. . .

In his last tweet, Mr Nemtsov sent out an appeal for Russia's divided opposition to unite at an anti-war march he was planning for Sunday.

"If you support stopping Russia's war with Ukraine, if you support stopping Putin's aggression, come to the Spring March in Maryino on 1 March," he wrote.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31669061

[Stargeezr]

I hope that Ukraine will get oil from the Middle East and other countries, and totally

forget about Russia. If Europe and the Ukraine stop buying the oil from Russia, plus with

the sanctions against Russia, I think that the Russian currency will keep dropping, and

the people will eventually realize that Mr. Putin, their big leader is at fault for all of

their woes, and not the Bad , bad western countries in the world.

Get out of Ukraine, Mr. Putin, and take your supposed pro- Russian military with

you back to Russia! Nobody is being fooled to believe that there is only Ukrainians in

eastern Ukraine and the Crimean area, Way too much military weapons and people

to be only Ukrainians fighting other Ukrainians. I just wished the USA and other countries

would call it like it really is. I believe that there are many Russian military personal

fighting in the Eastern part of Ukraine, and I do not believe for one minute what Mr. Putin

says publically. Just my Western, Farang opinion of course.

[hard124get]

A Russian would know about genocide in the Ukraine.

A Bolshevik would, Putin got rid of the Oligarchs that were bleeding Russia dry.

[hard124get]

You got to pay your bills. It's the capitalist way. Ukraine just got a big loan. Lob up and look happy .

[NeverSure]

A Russian would know about genocide in the Ukraine.

A Bolshevik would, Putin got rid of the Oligarchs that were bleeding Russia dry.

According to Forbes, Putin is the world's second richest man behind only Bill Gates. He's worth 70 Bil USD. Who bled who dry?

LINK

Edited February 28, 2015 by NeverSure

[hard124get]

A Russian would know about genocide in the Ukraine.

A Bolshevik would, Putin got rid of the Oligarchs that were bleeding Russia dry.

According to Forbes, Putin is the world's second richest man behind only Bill Gates. He's worth 70 Bil USD. Who bled who dry?

LINK

Forbes is an American business magazine. Do you really think they are impartial ? Maybe Putin emails his bank accounts to them on a weekly basis?

[hard124get]

Ruthless folks those Ukrainans as we all know by now.

If you were a relative of one of the 5000 killed by the Kiev shelling, or one of the policemen who were set on fire in Maidan you might think differently.

[Asiantravel]

maybe no gas and certainly no food.................

Ukraine's Strategic Food Reserve...Runs Out Of Food

Ukraine State Reserve doesn’t even have Azarov’s buckwheat. Everything was stolen.

http://fortruss.blogspot.com/2015/02/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none_98.html