Reuters: Ukraine parliament gives preliminary nod to emergency energy plans

Ukraine's parliament gave preliminary approval on Friday to a draft law that would allow the Kiev government to exert tighter control over the energy sector in the face of dwindling natural gas supplies after Russia cut off exports last month.

The parliament also approved, in a first reading, a bill that would allow consortiums with European or U.S. companies to operate Ukraine's ageing gas distribution system and storage facilities.

"Russia is trying to tighten as many screws as possible on us," Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk told parliament, urging it to give his government the right to declare a "state of emergency" in the energy sector.

"A gas war has been rolled out against us. The country is on the brink (of energy collapse)."
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