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With 2 Russian TV journalists killed in recent days and on the heels of Russia's cutting off Ukraine's gas supply for non-payment, Interfax is reporting that:
*EXPLOSION ON UKRAINE GAS TRANSIT PIPELINE REPORTED: IFX
*INTERFAX CITES UKRAINE INTERIOR MINISTRY ON GAS PIPELINE BLAST
Witnesses say flames are reaching 200 metres high. Gazprom shares are tumbling on the news (as should European stocks) and Russia's Foreign Affairs Committee Chief Aleksei Pushkov warned relations between Ukraine and Russia have entered a new stage and are "moving closer towards a serious conflict."
Operating since 1967, the “Brotherhood” is the largest consumer gas pipeline in Europe, clocking in at 4,451 km. It cuts through Ukraine and runs into Slovakia, where it diverges in two directions; with one part supplying gas to the Czech Republic, Germany, France and Switzerland, and the other to Austria, Italy, Hungary and several countries in the Balkans.
Pipeline faucets are being tuned off as fire fighters still can’t put out the flame.
Well that didn't take long. Home prices are not the only thing surging in Britain as Reuters reports British spot wholesale gas prices climbed over 7% after Ukraine and Russia failed to agree on the price of future gas deliveries. Britain gets around 5% of its gas from Russian sources and a mild winter and spring have prompted utilities to inject more gas into storage than usual. One analyst notes "as yet flows through Ukraine to Europe have not been disrupted but the market has become increasingly concerned that they will," and now, following the explosion in the largest gas transit pipeline in Europe, disruptions have begun.
originally posted by: Etherguide
originally posted by: starfoxxx
originally posted by: angelchemuel
a reply to: starfoxxx
Erm....nooooo.....Russia brought down the price they had previously agreed with Ukraine and extended their first payment due date. Ukraine pay no more than the rest of Europe do.......but they have no compunction about syphoning off gas directed to the rest of Europe who have paid for it.
Please see the links provided by other posters.
Here....have one of these to go with your Jolly Roger and chill....I am
Rainbows
Jane
Can YOU back up your lies???
"We have to be prepared to ensure that Russia doesn't use energy as a weapon against Ukraine; we can't stand by and let that happen," he said.
Russia raised the gas price for Ukraine by some 80% in April, from $268 per 1,000 cubic meters to $485.5, after protesters ousted a pro-Russian president in February. The Kremlin last week said it wouldn't improve on its offer to apply a discount.
Mr. Oettinger on Sunday night proposed a winter price in line with Gazprom's offer of $385 per 1,000 cubic meters, but a lower price for summer months of $300, an offer he said was rejected by Russia.
Ukranian officials said Ukraine's inventories and imports from Europe via reverse flows through Slovakia would see through to the end of the year. But Gazprom chief Alexei Miller expressed skepticism during a news conference in Brussels about Ukraine's ability to make up the gap.
Russia Raised gas prices when Ukraine didn't bow to mother russia
Your wrong, lay off the jolly rogers..
That's the deal, that is the problem...
Ukraine is being extorted for not following mother Russia plain and simple.
Naftogaz of Ukraine was offered 385.5$ for 1 thousand cubic meters of natural gas by Gazprom. It is the lowest price for natural gas in Europe. Oettinger has admitted that it is a sound deal.
The offer is still on the table, but Ukraine demands the price to be as low as 268.5$ or they refuse to pay (!). It is absolutely ridiculous.
originally posted by: GreenMtnBoys
I think Russia has shown A LOT of restraint and patience. It's time for Russia to take the gloves off and take over eastern Ukraine in my opinion. To start blowing up gas and oil pipepline infrastructure because Ukraine is whining about not being able to pay for their resources……..shove it. That's their problem. Maybe now they understand why their country is such a dilapitated disaster in the making. Terrorists act like that and Russia should treat Ukraine as such. Everybody in the world is gunning for Russia. Why? Is Russia and Putin any more vile than anyone us in the world. Any more corrupt than the USA or our leadership? Are the Russian people as imperialistic as we are? I think the resounding answer to those questions are no. We obviously know the US is gunning for Russia and Putin. SO Russia needs to do what it needs to in order to protect its borders and sovereignty. You never know what will happen with the US lurking around poking its nose.
As an American I'm disgusted with my country and my government right now. Obama has been a complete and utter failure. Scandal after scandal! Complete incompetence in every aspect of his leadership. Our borders are so wide open we have thousands of children from Central American flooding in???!!!!!! WTF! We cant take care of our military vets! How many are committing suicide everyday??? Our foreign policy is one big disaster on every level. We focus on countries like Iran instead of doing anything about North Korea!!!! Our economy is in the toilet thanks to the government's constant meddling and endless printing of money and corporate bailouts.
America has become a paper tiger…………it's depressing…….and we as Americans seem to be powerless to stop any of it.
originally posted by: angelchemuel
a reply to: starfoxxx
Erm....nooooo.....Russia brought down the price they had previously agreed with Ukraine and extended their first payment due date. Ukraine pay no more than the rest of Europe do.......but they have no compunction about syphoning off gas directed to the rest of Europe who have paid for it.
Please see the links provided by other posters.
Rainbows
Jane
originally posted by: Battleline
This is how it started with Japan, when you have nothing left to loose fighting is all that's left and Russia is just waiting to get started.
I guess there is always becoming an Russian state again.
The idea of America helping is remote, to many campaign stops ...and don't forget the golf games.
originally posted by: intrepid
Ya know if that was here in the West that might be a problem. We're talking a hearty people here.
This is just my opinion.
No one ever thinks about the water. Or the toilet paper, as it were.
But these are among the many, many staples that become luxuries when one’s nation is in crisis.
Hours ago, the local gas company in Kiev (Kyivenergo) announced that they would be shutting off the hot water supply to most of the city.
While the official reason for the hot water shutoff is that Kyivenergo (the energy supplier to Kiev) owes a debt to the Ukrainian state gas company (Naftogaz) of over $100 million.
It’s just a quirky little coincidence that this debt suddenly became materially important only one week after Russia shut off natural gas supplies to Ukraine.
Funny thing is that Ukrainian politicians for years had been telling people not to worry about this.
You see, Ukraine has its own domestic natural gas supplies. And they tell people that the domestic gas is strictly for the people and their utilities (like hot water).
Russian gas, according to this story, is imported for businesses to use. But that domestic gas is sacrosanct, only for the people.
Clearly this turned out to be a big fat lie.
originally posted by: Shadow1024
Actually Russians are the main suspect for source of this blowing up of the pipeline. Let's say generally pipeline in the whole proximity tend to explode when its convenient for Putin , like Georgia was cut of in 2006.
Really? So did you short sale Gazprom shares on the market and earn money on that?
originally posted by: VirusGuard
I predicted the pipes would be blown month ago.
Doubtful.
Even if gas was sold for $0.01 on the open market the price you and I pay would not drop a cent and would just be taken up with yet more taxes and people being cold in Europe this winter will start riots and I hope that the USA and its military bases are kicked out of Europe for being behind this crisis.
originally posted by: Shadow1024
Actually Russians are the main suspect for source of this blowing up of the pipeline. Let's say generally pipeline in the whole proximity tend to explode when its convenient for Putin , like Georgia was cut of in 2006.
Yes so Gazprom took a drop in its share price and wanted to increase that loss by blowing up the gas pipes.
Actually most logical people would agree it was the nazi groups in Kiev that would had pulled the plug and were most likly helped by the CIA.
Now if you are looking for a false flag then may I sugest you deal with 9/11 first !
Which in turn brings us to the culmination of the political struggle over the South Stream, when earlier today, in yet another coup for the Kremlin, one of the most stable and respected European countries, AAA-rated Austria gave its final approval to the "controversial" Russian gas pipeline project early Tuesday, defying EU officials and welcoming Russian President Vladimir Putin to the neutral country that has been a long-standing energy customer for Moscow.
As Reuters reports, "the chief executives of Russia's Gazprom and Austria's OMV sealed the deal to build a branch of the South Stream gas pipeline to Austria, a staunch defender of the project in the face of opposition from the European Commission."
In other words, one short month after Putin concluded the Holy Grail deal with Beijing, he not only managed to formalize his conquest of Europe's energy needs with yet another pipeline, one which completely bypasses Ukraine (for numerous reasons but mostly one: call it a Plan B), but scored a massive political victory by creating a fissure in the heart of the Eurozone, after Austria openly defied its European peers and sided with Putin.