Russia to Cut Off Natural Gas Pipeline to Ukraine

A compressor station in Ukraine suddenly stopped working. Several countries in Europe had their gas supplies cut off.

Europe running out of gas

Several European countries have had their deliveries of gas through Ukraine cut off, a situation which the EU describes as "unacceptable". Gazprom says Ukraine's energy company has shut off a number of pipelines. Meanwhile, the head of Naftogaz has announced he is ready to resume negotiations

Slovakia declares a state of emergency, and Bulgaria wants to restart unsafe nuclear reactors.


There's a related thread here.

Yeah I hear Slovakia is in real deep sh*t with less than 2 weeks of supplies. What is really troubling is that there is a complete deadlock now on any negotiations process. Neither side is talking with the other, and both are now making their demands more and more outrageous - I am guessing out of spite.

I think this is as good of a time as any for Timoshenko to step up and work towards settling this without Yuschenko's involvement. That could really be a symbolic coup against his already failing administration.

And for now EU is still maintaining that this dispute is solely between Ukraine and Russia. I wonder if in the coming days we will see growing involvement by the EU to moderate the dispute.

Seems like the gas supplies to Europe might get cut off again...


Hungary urges EU to prepare for renewed eastern gas dispute - paper

The gas to Ukraine might be cut off unless they pay their bills by March 7.


Kyiv Post: Gazprombank advisor does not rule out possible gas cut-off for Ukraine

Yeah, I think they were steeling gas, er not paying for it.

So the hoodlums could not be controlled and the Russian army
had to eliminate the pressure, er the hoodlums.

Ain't it the truth, it happens again and again.

Cases of steeling, lets see. Wow from Madoff to City Bank the
ripoff is never ending.

Breaking News!

Naftogaz headquarters is being raided!


SkyNews: Security Agents Raid Ukraine Gas Company HQ

reply to post by Hellmutt


Uh oh somebody in NaftoGaz forgot to give local politicians their fair share of the loot. Seriously though, knowing the level of corruption in Ukraine and its top companies, it will not be hard for the government to pin some accussations against NaftoGaz and its executives if they so desire. We can only "guess" which "politician" or political interest is behind this. It would be entertaining to watch if the same thing happens as happened to YUKOS in Russia.

reply to post by Hellmutt

Jumping Jimminies.
That looks like a Mexican Drug Cartel Response Team instead of a
bunch of plumbers, to stop the leaks.

They also looks like the homeland security outfits needed after 911
to save Bushes credibility.
Well he never did have any one competent to think things out with.
Imagine a 911 discovery with Cheney who blocked air traffic.

I'm glad Rice came out and said we supported the freedom of the
Ukraine to steel. The Illuminati are against Russia and are not helping
America either. And Rice's statement proves it.

Check out these lyrics... (subtitled in english)

Russians mock the gas-dependence of Europe and Ukraine

"Should Ukraine will soon join NATO, we just will cut gas for Ukraine!
And in the night we`ll cut gaz to Europe!
So that we could cut the gas for everebody, just in case!" Thіs is words from "comic" song performed by Academic Ensemble of Moscow Military District. The subs in this video are literal translation of comedy broadcasted on Russian Ren-TV on the 2th of January 2009.

How about a new pipeline around the Ukraine to solve
the problem of the Ukraine of having any equipment in
their hands.

That is an Illiminati solution.
I'm so proud of myself thinking of such a management solution.

Ukraine will be given bottled gas.

It can happen again!


New thread: Putin warns of gas shutdown to Europe if Ukraine fails to pay (by maloy)

Politics, gas and organised crime

The EU turns a blind eye...


EU turns blind eye to corruption in eastern gas trade

06.06.2009


The EU is sending a "fact-finding" mission to Ukraine to see if its financial troubles could lead to a new gas crisis. But it is wary of tackling deeper problems of politics and corruption in the eastern gas trade, which also threaten EU energy security.

[---]

Mr Putin and Ukraine Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko are at the same time trying to strong-arm Ukraine gas tycoon Dmitry Firtash, in developments which highlight the links between politics, gas and organised crime in the region.

[---]

The gas shake-up may have begun back in May 2008 with Moscow's arrest on tax fraud charges of alleged mafia boss Semion Mogilevich.

Mr Mogilevich is connected to big names in the gas trade.

[---]

The European Commission has so far turned a deaf ear. In March, EU officials said they were "closely monitoring" Naftogaz' seizure of RUE's gas - "closely monitoring" is a typical commission "holding statement" when it does not have a real position.

[---]

"The European Commission has failed to recognise the danger these companies [RUE, RosGas or other alleged Gazprom offshoots] present to the energy security of the EU and has not made any attempt to convince member states to investigate the role these companies play in the supply chain," Jamestown's Mr Kupchinsky said.

Click the link to read the full article...

reply to post by Hellmutt


This skepticism by EU could indicate that they might not grant Ukraine the loan it needs to prepay for Russian gas imports in order to top up its reserves. Indeed if they do grant Ukraine a multi-billion dollar loan, who knows what part of it would go to shady intermediary companies like RosUkrEnergo or whatever offshoot company replaced it.


Clearly these intermediary firms create nothing but problems for the already troublesome gas industry. I am sure we don't even know half of what has been going on behind the scenes during the last gas dispute - and that goes for both Ukrainian and Russian side. All matters of people (read oligarchs and corrupt politicians) are lining their pockets from Ukrainian gas trade, and possibly from these disputes. The result is that Ukrainian government has no money to pay off its gas debt, while the oligarchs are hording all of the money that should have went towards these payments.


Either way I completely understand EU on this matter. Ukrainian leadership is doing next to nothing to battle this corruption and outright theft, and maybe can't really do anything with the likes of Yuschenko in power. But I admit that not much will change with either Timoshenko or Yanukovich - simply the windfall profits will go to another group of oligarchs.



EU and Russia can only hope for speedy completion of Nord Stream. At least Germany can be counted on not being involved with shady intermediaries who collect money for nothing.

www.russiatoday.ru...

The Orange Coalition in Ukraine has nominated Yulia Timoshenko for the post of Prime Minister. If approved, she will replace her main rival Viktor Yanukovich as the head of government.

From main page:
www.russiatoday.ru...

Ukraine and Russia has signed a 10-year gas contract to avert a new gas war.


RFE/RL: Russia-Ukraine Contract To Avert New Year Gas War

December 31, 2009


MOSCOW (Reuters) -- Russian gas will move via Ukraine without interruption this New Year as the ex-Soviet states have a 10-year supply deal in place, Russia's monopoly gas exporter said today, easing fears in Europe of a repeat gas war.

[---]

"We have signed, in our opinion, a good contract with Naftogaz Ukraine. Therefore we can mark this New Year at home," Sergei Kupriyanov said in a radio interview on New Year's Eve.

[---]

There is still a risk, however, that supplies could be disrupted should Ukraine fail to keep up monthly payments. The next test will come on January 11, by when Naftogaz is due to pay for December supplies of Russian gas.

Tymoshenko has admitted Ukraine has had difficulty meeting monthly payments, although the country has so far paid on schedule. Low temperatures could push Ukraine's December bill to nearly $1 billion from the $770 million paid for November.

Latest on the RosUkrEnergo/Naftogaz case.


ITAR-TASS: No request to settle Naftogaz debt from Ukraine – Kudrin

YALTA, October 2 (Itar-Tass) - Ukraine has not asked the Russian government for aid to settling Naftogaz’s debt to Switzerland’s trader RosUkrEnergo, Russian Vice-Prime Minister and Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said on Saturday.

Commenting on a statement by IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Kudrin said, “This is Ukraine’s obligation. It is not related to Russia.”

The Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce on June 8 obliged the national joint stock company Naftogaz Ukraine to return 11 billion cubic meters of gas to Switzerland-registered RosUkrEnergo (RUE) and to give it 1.1 billion cubic meters of gas as compensation, according to the Centragas company, which is a shareholder of RosUkrEnergo

RosUkrEnergo was set up in the summer of 2004 by Gazprom and Centragas Holding AG on parity beginnings. Centragas Holding is owned by Ukrainian businessmen Dmitry Firtash (90 percent) and Ivan Fursin (10 percent). RosUkrEnergo was the monopoly gas-supplier to Ukraine in 2006-2008

WikiLeaks

Mogilevich linked to the Russian gas supplies to Ukraine and Europe. Firtash acknowledged ties to Mogilevich.


WikiLeaks cables link Russian mafia boss to EU gas supplies

Semyon Mogilevich, one of FBI's most wanted people, identified as real power behind billionaire owner of Ukrainian-based RUE

[---]

The Russians arrested Mogilevich in 2008 over tax evasion at a cosmetics chain. But in 2009 he was mysteriously released.

WikiLeaks: Russian gas supplies to EU, Ukraine linked to mafia

"He [Firtash] acknowledged ties to Russian organized crime figure Semyon Mogilevich, stating he had needed Mogilevich's approval to get into business in the first place," Taylor wrote in a secret memo dedicated to his meeting with Firtash, according to WikiLeaks.

The U.S. says Mogilevich is one of the world's top mafia bosses, accusing him of creating eastern Europe's most powerful crime group in the 1990s. He is on the list of the FBI's ten most wanted fugitives