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EU gas monitors deploy in Ukraine Snag hits Russia-Ukraine gas deal
(29 minutes later)
EU observers are on their way to natural gas pumping stations around Ukraine to monitor the flow of Russian gas through the country. Russian energy giant Gazprom says a deal to re-start gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine will be delayed as it has not received a copy of the agreement.
Ukrainian officials signed a deal on the monitoring mission on Saturday, paving the way for Russia to restart the flow of gas across Europe. Kiev and Moscow signed the EU-brokered deal on Saturday. The new snag comes as EU observers arrived at gas pumping stations in Ukraine to monitor flow.
The region's worst energy crisis in years has left homes across central and southern Europe with no heating. Hundreds of thousands of people across Europe are without heating in the region's worst energy crisis in years.
The move follows days of EU-led shuttle diplomacy between Kiev and Moscow. The underlying issue over pricing that provoked the dispute is unresolved.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has said supplies to the EU could resume "immediately" after monitors begin working, although he warned Ukraine that Moscow "[would] not tolerate theft" of its gas, a charge Kiev has repeatedly denied. This is delaying our work and the start of monitors' work at the facilities Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov 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 weekend agreement followed days of intensive EU-led shuttle diplomacy between Russia and Ukraine.
But even when the gas starts to flow, it will take at least 36 hours to reach freezing consumers, in countries like Bulgaria, Serbia and Bosnia, where hundreds of thousands of homes have been left without heating. Moscow said that once the EU monitors were in place, it would turn the taps back on, bringing to an end the worst European energy crisis in recent years.
We will try to continue negotiations with Russia through all possible channels [on a new gas contract] Yulia TymoshenkoUkrainian Prime Minister However, by late on Sunday, Gazprom said it had still not received a copy of the monitoring agreement "through official channels".
The observers will be monitoring the amount of gas flowing into Ukraine from Russia to the east, and matching it with the amount going out again to other European countries to the west. "This is delaying our work and the start of monitors' work at the facilities," said Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov.
That should provide an answer to the hotly-contested question of whether or not Ukraine is stealing gas destined for European consumers, the BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse reports from Kiev. Once gas starts to flow, it will still take at least 36 hours for it to reach hundreds of thousands of consumers in countries like Bulgaria, Serbia and Bosnia, in the grip of severe winter weather.
But the underlying conflict that provoked this crisis in the first place - 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 - remains unresolved. Price row
The EU gets a quarter of its gas supplies from Russia, 80% of which passes through Ukraine.
The EU observers will be monitoring the amount of gas flowing into Ukraine from Russia to the East, and matching it with the amount going out again, to other European countries to the west.
That, all sides agree, should provide an answer to the hotly contested question of whether or not Ukraine was stealing gas destined for European consumers, says the BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse in Kiev.
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.
Russia cut supplies to the Ukraine on New Year's Day.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has vowed to "try to continue negotiations with Russia through all possible channels" on a new gas contract.Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has vowed to "try to continue negotiations with Russia through all possible channels" on a new gas contract.