Vestnik Kavkaza: Gas war: Who are Russia's friends?

A new gas war between Ukraine and Russia will come soon. It won’t wait for New Year's Eve and could start this autumn. Difficulties with gas supplies will be an unpleasant revelation for the EU, which has pushed Kiev into the association with it. The EU countries, especially those who are dependent on Russian gas supplies through Ukraine, could become the main victims of the confrontation.

Kiev’s threats to stop Russian gas transit, which were voiced at the Minsk meeting between the presidents of Ukraine and Russia, resembled populist hysteria, i.e. they are futureless. However, a statement by the Ukrainian Premier Yatsenyuk after the Minsk talks that Russia is going to stop gas supplies to Europe itself seems to be even less logical.

Russia has no intention of confronting the EU on such a vulnerable topic as gas. But Ukraine doesn’t want to take payments for transit due to unsettled price relations with Gazprom, and this could lead to shutting off the gas supply valve on the border.

Soon talks on gas will take place between Russia, the EU and Ukraine. Moscow has developed suggestions on gas prices for Ukraine, so it won’t freeze in the upcoming winter. And the packet definitely includes a demand to the EU for reconsideration of its policy directed at blocking realization of the Southern Stream Gas Project.
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