Russian Energy giant Gazprom would cut off gas deliveries to Ukraine from today after the failure of Moscow-Kiev talks to strike a last-minute deal for the supply of natural gas to the former Soviet republic.
Russian Energy giant Gazprom would cut off gas deliveries to Ukraine from today after the failure of Moscow-Kiev talks to strike a last-minute deal for the supply of natural gas to the former Soviet republic.
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"At 10.00 hrs (12.30 IST) on January 1 Gazprom will be cutting off 100 per cent gas supplies to the Ukrainian consumers," Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller announced yesterday after the failure of the talks with Ukrainian counter-agent Naftogaz Ukrainy.
Moscow had been demanding the full payment of USD 2 billion arrears and dues before entering the deal for the New Year.
Earlier, Kiev had announced that it paid USD 1.6 billion to the company acting as the middleman and will 'confiscate' all the Russian gas meant for the European Union nations passing through its territory. Senior Gazprom executive Alexander Medvedev earlier yesterday qualified the Ukrainian move as "blackmail".
Moscow said the gas deal with Ukraine has become a victim of "clan wars" between pro-US president Viktor Yushchenko and rebel Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko. Failure of gas deal with Moscow would be a major argument for President Yushchenko to seek NATO membership, after the Europe virtually vetoed Washington's call for membership action plans (MAP) for Ukraine and Georgia, both close US allies involved in antagonising a resurgent Russia.
According to ITAR-TASS, President Yushchenko who banned Prime Minister Timoshenko to fly to Moscow for closing a mutually acceptable gas deal with Gazprom, is to address the nation today on the issue.
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