Russian State Tv Says Europe Could Suffer Over Moscow-kiev Gas Dispute
RUSSIAN STATE TV SAYS EUROPE COULD SUFFER OVER MOSCOW-KIEV GAS DISPUTE
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom
Dec 01, 2005
Russian state TV highlighted the consequences for Europe of the
Moscow-Kiev gas dispute after Ukrainian officials failed to attend
talks on the issue in Moscow on 29 November. On the other hand,
a senior correspondent on Gazprom's NTV suggested that Russia would
suffer as much as anyone if a deal is not struck with Ukraine.
Reports on state broadcaster Rossiya (RTV) have presented the gas
dispute with Ukraine in a broader European context. Indeed, they imply
that it is European consumers that will suffer most if Moscow and
Kiev fail to strike a deal on tariffs before the current contract
expires at the end of the year. "Gazprom says that if a transit
agreement with Ukraine is not signed, then there is no certainty
that Russian gas will get to European consumers. Europe has already
expressed its concern about this, but Ukraine is not commenting,"
correspondent Yevgeniy Rozhkov noted on 29 November.
RTV's main evening bulletin on 30 November played up both Europe's
concerns and its dependence on Russian gas. "The EU is carefully
following the course of talks between Moscow and Kiev. If prices are
put up, Ukraine is threatening to stop transit of gas to the EU in
2006, which would mean the European energy market facing a crisis.
Russia supplies natural gas to half of Europe," presenter Mariya
Sittel told viewers.
If Europe does suffer gas shortages, Ukraine could be made to suffer,
Channel One's resident pundit Mikhail Leontyev said in his Odnako
spot on 30 November. "The so-called European choice made by Ukraine
was a purely political and ideological decision. And following this,
our relations with Ukraine have become purely economic. But when the
Europeans discover that the European choice by Ukraine was a political
decision to instead of taking Russian gas steal European gas, that is,
gas that is bought and paid for by Europe, then this could have the
most unexpected consequences for the Orangeists," the pro-Kremlin
commentator warned.
As well as pointing out the consequences of a failure to reach a deal,
RTV has argued that Ukraine's position is unjustified. The evening
bulletin on 29 November explained that from 1 January 2006 even
poorer CIS states, such as Armenia and Moldova will be paying twice
or three times the 50 dollars that Ukraine is currently being charged
for Russian gas. "Ukraine is still demanding special treatment and
is refusing to buy gas on the general basis," correspondent Yevgeniy
Rozhkov complained. He went on to stress the Gazprom's objective and
responsible attitude to the problem. "Russia wants to leave politics
out of the gas question completely, and establish transparent,
market relations. Gazprom says it is even ready to increase payment
for transit by two or three times at a loss to themselves. The main
thing is to make sure that Europe gets its fuel without problems,"
Rozhkov stressed.
Rozhkov's report suggested that it is Ukraine that is trying to
politicize the issue. Duma deputy Valeriy Yazev explained that the
Ukrainian authorities are desperate to avoid the "political crisis"
that gas price hikes would produce in the run-up to the parliamentary
election next spring.
NTV's veteran correspondent Vladimir Kondratyev agreed with RTV that
the gas dispute is "jeopardizing the stable supply of gas to Western
Europe". However, Kondratyev suggested that this is as much a problem
for Russia as anyone else. "Ukraine has become a stumbling-block
for Gazprom," Kondratyev remarked. The Northern Gas Pipeline from
Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea should take Ukraine out of
the European gas equation after 2010, the NTV correspondent explained.
However, until then, he said, "Russia does not have any reasonable
alternative to supplying Europe with gas other than through Ukraine".
"At the moment Moscow and Kiev are forced to seek and find a
compromise," Kondratyev concluded.
RUSSIAN STATE TV SAYS EUROPE COULD SUFFER OVER MOSCOW-KIEV GAS DISPUTE
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom
Dec 01, 2005
Russian state TV highlighted the consequences for Europe of the
Moscow-Kiev gas dispute after Ukrainian officials failed to attend
talks on the issue in Moscow on 29 November. On the other hand,
a senior correspondent on Gazprom's NTV suggested that Russia would
suffer as much as anyone if a deal is not struck with Ukraine.
Reports on state broadcaster Rossiya (RTV) have presented the gas
dispute with Ukraine in a broader European context. Indeed, they imply
that it is European consumers that will suffer most if Moscow and
Kiev fail to strike a deal on tariffs before the current contract
expires at the end of the year. "Gazprom says that if a transit
agreement with Ukraine is not signed, then there is no certainty
that Russian gas will get to European consumers. Europe has already
expressed its concern about this, but Ukraine is not commenting,"
correspondent Yevgeniy Rozhkov noted on 29 November.
RTV's main evening bulletin on 30 November played up both Europe's
concerns and its dependence on Russian gas. "The EU is carefully
following the course of talks between Moscow and Kiev. If prices are
put up, Ukraine is threatening to stop transit of gas to the EU in
2006, which would mean the European energy market facing a crisis.
Russia supplies natural gas to half of Europe," presenter Mariya
Sittel told viewers.
If Europe does suffer gas shortages, Ukraine could be made to suffer,
Channel One's resident pundit Mikhail Leontyev said in his Odnako
spot on 30 November. "The so-called European choice made by Ukraine
was a purely political and ideological decision. And following this,
our relations with Ukraine have become purely economic. But when the
Europeans discover that the European choice by Ukraine was a political
decision to instead of taking Russian gas steal European gas, that is,
gas that is bought and paid for by Europe, then this could have the
most unexpected consequences for the Orangeists," the pro-Kremlin
commentator warned.
As well as pointing out the consequences of a failure to reach a deal,
RTV has argued that Ukraine's position is unjustified. The evening
bulletin on 29 November explained that from 1 January 2006 even
poorer CIS states, such as Armenia and Moldova will be paying twice
or three times the 50 dollars that Ukraine is currently being charged
for Russian gas. "Ukraine is still demanding special treatment and
is refusing to buy gas on the general basis," correspondent Yevgeniy
Rozhkov complained. He went on to stress the Gazprom's objective and
responsible attitude to the problem. "Russia wants to leave politics
out of the gas question completely, and establish transparent,
market relations. Gazprom says it is even ready to increase payment
for transit by two or three times at a loss to themselves. The main
thing is to make sure that Europe gets its fuel without problems,"
Rozhkov stressed.
Rozhkov's report suggested that it is Ukraine that is trying to
politicize the issue. Duma deputy Valeriy Yazev explained that the
Ukrainian authorities are desperate to avoid the "political crisis"
that gas price hikes would produce in the run-up to the parliamentary
election next spring.
NTV's veteran correspondent Vladimir Kondratyev agreed with RTV that
the gas dispute is "jeopardizing the stable supply of gas to Western
Europe". However, Kondratyev suggested that this is as much a problem
for Russia as anyone else. "Ukraine has become a stumbling-block
for Gazprom," Kondratyev remarked. The Northern Gas Pipeline from
Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea should take Ukraine out of
the European gas equation after 2010, the NTV correspondent explained.
However, until then, he said, "Russia does not have any reasonable
alternative to supplying Europe with gas other than through Ukraine".
"At the moment Moscow and Kiev are forced to seek and find a
compromise," Kondratyev concluded.
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