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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Ukraine 'threatens to seize gas' | Ukraine 'threatens to seize gas' |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Russian energy giant Gazprom has claimed Ukraine is threatening to seize Russian gas transported through pipelines in the country to Europe. | Russian energy giant Gazprom has claimed Ukraine is threatening to seize Russian gas transported through pipelines in the country to Europe. |
| Gazprom said the "blackmail" threat was made after it warned gas supplies to Ukraine would stop unless its neighbour signed a new contract by 1 January. | Gazprom said the "blackmail" threat was made after it warned gas supplies to Ukraine would stop unless its neighbour signed a new contract by 1 January. |
| But Kiev insisted European gas supplies would not be interrupted due to the row over gas payments. | |
| Ukraine says it has transferred the $1.5bn (£1bn) which it owes Gazprom. | |
| But the Russian firm said it had not yet received the money from RosUkrEnergo - a Switzerland-registered gas trading company which is acting as an intermediary. | But the Russian firm said it had not yet received the money from RosUkrEnergo - a Switzerland-registered gas trading company which is acting as an intermediary. |
| Gazprom says Ukraine owes more than $2bn, including fines. | Gazprom says Ukraine owes more than $2bn, including fines. |
| European fears | European fears |
| Acknowledging that Ukraine had started paying off its gas debt, the Russian monopoly reiterated that there would be "no grounds for supplying gas to Ukraine" if a new contract was not signed. | Acknowledging that Ukraine had started paying off its gas debt, the Russian monopoly reiterated that there would be "no grounds for supplying gas to Ukraine" if a new contract was not signed. |
| Europe's gas pipeline network Enlarge Map | Europe's gas pipeline network Enlarge Map |
| At the same time, Gazprom promised to take all the possible measures to guarantee uninterrupted supplies to all the other European countries. | At the same time, Gazprom promised to take all the possible measures to guarantee uninterrupted supplies to all the other European countries. |
| Talks continued in Moscow as the two sides also need to agree on a price for 2009 gas supplies to Ukraine. | Talks continued in Moscow as the two sides also need to agree on a price for 2009 gas supplies to Ukraine. |
| There have been conflicting reports about whether Ukraine's Prime Minister will travel to Moscow for talks on the issue. | |
| Gazprom's deputy chief executive Alexander Medvedev told a press conference "it seems a political intervention will be needed". | |
| Ukraine is a key transit route of Russian gas to Europe, and it is feared that a supply cut could affect countries further west. | Ukraine is a key transit route of Russian gas to Europe, and it is feared that a supply cut could affect countries further west. |
| Gazprom, the world's largest gas producer, supplies a quarter of the European Union's gas needs, or 42% of EU's gas imports. | Gazprom, the world's largest gas producer, supplies a quarter of the European Union's gas needs, or 42% of EU's gas imports. |
| A similar row between Gazprom and Ukraine in 2006 led to gas shortages in several EU countries. | A similar row between Gazprom and Ukraine in 2006 led to gas shortages in several EU countries. |