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Ukraine 'removes gas conditions' Russia 'ready' to resume gas flow
(about 2 hours later)
Gazprom says its chief executive is going to Brussels to discuss resuming Russian gas supplies after Ukraine agreed to drop disputed conditions. Russian PM Vladimir Putin has said gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine can resume once the European Commission has signed a deal on the transit of gas.
A statement from the Russian energy giant said Ukraine had signed a deal on the transit of Russian gas to the EU "without any conditions whatsoever". He also said independent observers to verify the gas flow must be in place before Russia resumes the supply.
Moscow has confirmed that Ukraine has already re-signed a deal on the transit of Russian gas "without conditions".
The cut in Russian gas supplies has left many people in Central and Eastern Europe struggling to keep warm.The cut in Russian gas supplies has left many people in Central and Eastern Europe struggling to keep warm.
The EU says it expects Russia to restore gas supplies "immediately".
Czech Industry Minister Martin Riman, speaking on behalf of the EU's Czech presidency, said "the Ukrainian side signed again the terms of reference, without declarations, so now Russia's conditions were fully fulfilled, and Russia has no reason not to restore the gas supplies immediately".
EU monitors are now deployed to check the pipeline flow when it resumes.
Experts say it will take up to three days for Russian gas to reach some parts of Europe even if Russia agrees in the next few hours to turn the taps back on.Experts say it will take up to three days for Russian gas to reach some parts of Europe even if Russia agrees in the next few hours to turn the taps back on.
EU monitors are being deployed to check the pipeline flow when it resumes.
Price dispute
The European Commission said all Russian conditions regarding the transit of its gas to European markets via Ukrainian pipelines had been met and "there are absolutely no reasons not to start gas supplies again".
See map of affected areaSee map of affected area
The Ukrainian president's envoy for energy security, Bohdan Sokolovsky, accused Russia of delaying tactics, saying "maybe they simply do not have gas, and they know about it, but they are too ashamed to tell the whole world". "Prime Minister Putin confirmed that as soon as the monitors are fully deployed, the gas supply could start again," European Commission spokesman Johannes Laitenberger said.
Russia had said it could not implement an agreement with Ukraine to resume gas flows to Europe, accusing Ukraine of adding "unacceptable" conditions. class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7817780.stm">The struggle to keep warm class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7240462.stm">Why Europe needs Russian gas But Mr Putin also said the Commission must sign off on the deal between Russia and Ukraine before the gas would flow.
Moscow alleged that Ukraine had added a clause denying it owed Russia for past supplies of gas.
The issue will be discussed by European Union ministers at an emergency meeting on Monday, set to begin at 1330 GMT.The issue will be discussed by European Union ministers at an emergency meeting on Monday, set to begin at 1330 GMT.
Gazprom chief executive Alexei Miller and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin are on their way to Brussels for talks, Russia's Interfax news agency reports. The chief executive of Russia's state-owned energy giant Gazprom, Alexei Miller, and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin were on their way to Brussels for talks, Russia's Interfax news agency reported.
The dispute has left hundreds of thousands of people without heating during one of the harshest winters in many years and the EU ministers will examine ways of preventing a repeat of the crisis. class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7817780.stm">The struggle to keep warm class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7240462.stm">Why Europe needs Russian gas
The European Commission and Ukraine say they will address Russian concerns. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Grygory Nemyrya and the head of Ukrainian state energy company Naftogaz, Oleg Dubina, were also heading to Brussels.
Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, insisted on Monday that "as soon as the transit is ensured, Gazprom will renew the flow immediately". Russia cut supplies to Ukraine on New Year's Day in a dispute over pricing that remains unresolved.
On Sunday the Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, said Kiev had added provisos contradicting Moscow's position and that the deal was "null and void" until it was resolved.
But European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso spoke to Ukraine's Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko by phone on Sunday in an effort to resolve the dispute.
The pair agreed to separate Ukraine's declaration from the main text of the agreement, said a spokesman for the European Commission, which negotiated the deal.
EU monitors
The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse in Kiev says it appears that Ukraine's add-ons relate to the thorny question of Ukraine's gas debts to Russia, and whether or not Kiev had been siphoning off gas destined for European customers.
At the weekend it seemed a deal had been done for Gazprom to restart gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine, following frantic EU shuttle diplomacy.At the weekend it seemed a deal had been done for Gazprom to restart gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine, following frantic EU shuttle diplomacy.
Both Russia and Ukraine had signed an agreement to allow international monitors to observe the flow of natural gas from Russia to Europe via the Ukraine.Both Russia and Ukraine had signed an agreement to allow international monitors to observe the flow of natural gas from Russia to Europe via the Ukraine.
But later President Medvedev said Ukraine had added provisos to the accord that were unacceptable to Moscow. But later, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Ukraine had added provisos to the accord that were unacceptable to Russia.
"We are forced to consider the agreement signed null and void, we will not be bound by it," Mr Medvedev said in televised remarks to his foreign minister. Moscow alleged that Ukraine had added a clause denying it owed Russia for past supplies of gas.
"[We] will not apply it until the proviso is recalled or annulled in some other way by the Ukrainian side." The Ukrainian president's envoy for energy security, Bohdan Sokolovsky, accused Russia of delaying tactics, saying "maybe they simply do not have gas, and they know about it, but they are too ashamed to tell the whole world".
Price row The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse in Kiev says it appears that Ukraine's add-ons relate to the thorny question of Ukraine's gas debts to Russia, and whether or not Kiev had been siphoning off gas destined for European customers.
Meanwhile, EU observers are waiting at pumping stations in Ukraine to monitor the flow of gas. The dispute has left hundreds of thousands of people without heating during one of the harshest winters in many years.
But the taps remain switched off and many Europeans will be left in the cold for some time to come. At their meeting, EU ministers will examine ways of preventing a repeat of the crisis.
Russia cut supplies to the Ukraine on New Year's Day. The underlying issue over pricing that provoked the dispute is unresolved.
The EU gets a quarter of its gas supplies from Russia, 80% of which passes through Ukraine.The EU gets a quarter of its gas supplies from Russia, 80% of which passes through Ukraine.
The price Ukraine should pay Russia for its gas in the coming year, and how much Russia should pay Ukraine in return for transporting gas to Europe has yet to be agreed.The price Ukraine should pay Russia for its gas in the coming year, and how much Russia should pay Ukraine in return for transporting gas to Europe has yet to be agreed.
 
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Has your country been affected by the gas dispute? What do you think of EU efforts to resolve the issue? Send us your comments.Has your country been affected by the gas dispute? What do you think of EU efforts to resolve the issue? Send us your comments.
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