Originally posted by sminkeypinkey
Well so far I think the one element that looks 'iffy' is the damage to the supply lines (but it could have been anyone, there is no proof either way
and it is still far from clear who was responsible for that).
If presidents of some countries are claiming that you really have no business talking about no proof. WE might not have it but i am sure THEY might
very well have.
They have freely chosen to have less and less to do with Russia politically and are moving ever towards 'the west' (or what they imagine to
be 'the west', along with a little outside encouragement, no doubt).
Much outside encouragement as much of the unrest were funded by the same old US backed organizations. Nothing new under the sun.
Then they get upset when Russia asks they move to a 'western price' for Russia's resources.
Well they called it the open manipulation that it was as Russia waited for a particular cold spell to hit them with the bad news. Strange that Ukraine
had enough in stock and that Europe suffered more thought.
I cannot see why anyone thinks this is unusual; if you don't want to be in the 'Russian club' why would you expect any of the benefits that
'membership' once attracted?
One assume they had a deal going and it was broken at a time they did not expect? You are however right in the main and they should not be expecting
undeserved favours. My point was why did Russia wait so long if not for many reasons other than the one's you suggest here.
If they were trying to charge twice what they charge Europe or something one might have a point but they are merely asking those countries that
want to 'move away' from Russia to move to paying the same prices as Europe.
Wich has very little to do with my original point. It's all about timing and the timing was interesting to say the least.
Also complicating this matter is the current unusual extremely cold snap Russia is experiencing. This has led to Russia to look to Russia first
and keep their supply priority up at home first.
Assumption or fact? No reason to try find excuses for obvious and deliberate Russian actions imo...
But - contrary to what some seem to imagine - this is not the first time this happened and when the ultra cold spell was over supplies
returned to normal.
It certainly did not have anything to do with a cold spell this time. The Ukraine did not sign up to a new deal that would keep price the same for the
first 3 months so their gas was cut deliveries were cut off.
Ukraine's prime minister denied the allegation, insisting not a single cubic metre of Russian gas was being used.
Earlier, Ukraine's own state-run gas firm blamed Russia for jeopardising Western European supplies.
"Gas is not flowing at all through some transit routes, which can lead to a fall in pressure in all the pipelines and limit the overall supply of gas
to Ukraine and Europe," said Eduard Zaniuk, a spokesman for Ukrainian state-run gas giant Naftogaz.
"Naftogaz declares such actions unacceptable because they endanger gas deliveries to Europe."
Ukraine gas row hits EU suppliesInteresting how the focus of all of this has shifted from a terrible (deliberately? threatening?) Russian made 'European crisis' - a tale
completely unsustainable in the light of the facts.
And here i thought we were staying open minded! There are enough people who sees this as the deliberately manipulation it seems to be for me to
continue looking at it in that light.
- to implying nasty old Russia is bullying those poor little countries (that have dared to 'stand up to them' or who 'want to be free' etc
etc and all those other cliches), no?
Well Russia is clearly using it's energy sector power to affect political and economic compromise so how can you not call it "bullying"? Since when
is Russia incapable of doing what is in it's best interest anyways? They are not much less of a superpower than they used to be....
Stellar
[edit on 5-2-2006 by StellarX]
Alright, whatever... I'm such a crybaby, I know... 
Further investigation reveals that there is not
enough evidence of Mogilevich involvement in RosUkrEnergo. Only "indirect evidence". And Yushchenko (who sacked Tymoshenko) forbade anyone to "deal
with it"... 
