A RUSSIAN BUSINESS NEWSLETTER

January 13, 2009

Vol 09 No 6

Published by: Michael F. Baehr

FROM: THE ST.
PETERSBURG TIMES

Ukrainian Dispute with Russia Over
European Union Natural Gas

(BRUSSELS, BELGIUM): The European Union say Russia's Gazprom is insisting that Russians be included in the monitoring mission overseeing Russian natural gas as it flows through Ukraine pipelines.

Moscow's insistence to have Russians checking the gas flow through Ukraine goes against an agreement the EU had with Kiev to limit the group to EU observers alone.

An agreement on an observer mission would speed up the return of gas supplies from Russia to Europe, which is suffering a bitter winter cold snap.

Ukrainian officials have denied Russian accusations that they have siphoned off gas intended for Europe, saying instead they needed to use some of the Russian gas to keep the pipelines running.

(Comment by: Michael Baehr) This dispute between Russia and the Ukraine seems to happen every winter. It appears to end before the Ukrainians freeze to death.

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COPYRIGHT, 2009, M.F. BAEHR, SEATTLE, WA, USA

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