Ukraine offered
Thursday to help Russia supply gas to European consumers if a pricing dispute
between Belarus and Russia disrupts supplies westward, International Herald Tribune reported.
"We are in a
position to offer help to European customers by increasing transit to whatever volume
is necessary to ensure the stable functioning of our neighbors in the European
Union," Fuel and Energy Minister Yuri Boyko said.
Russian state gas
monopoly Gazprom has warned that it will halt supplies to Belarus on January 1 if
no new contract is signed to end their price dispute, and has warned European
countries their deliveries could be affected. Minsk has threatened to siphon
off Russian natural gas bound for Europe in the event of a suspension of
supplies to Belarus.
Boyko's offer stands in
sharp contrast to the mood in Kiev last year when Ukraine was engaged in its
own bitter pricing dispute with Moscow. Russia temporarily turned off the taps
to Ukraine, which resulted in brief disruptions to European consumers. The
dispute was seen by many as punishment for President Viktor Yushchenko's
pro-Western policies.
This year, Ukraine's new
pro-Russian premier, Viktor Yanukovych, reached an early agreement with Russia
on gas prices for 2007, with Kiev pledging to pay US$130 (?99) per 1,000 cubic
meters. That is 40 percent more than Ukraine paid in 2006, but nearly half the
price Russia is charging other ex-Soviet republics.
Boyko
didn't elaborate about how much more gas Ukrainian pipelines could hold. Russia
already relies on Ukrainian pipelines to carry 80 percent of its gas exports to
European Union countries.
Gazprom is demanding
that Belarus pay US$105 (?80) — more than twice the current price for gas — and
hand over a 50 percent stake in its gas distribution system.
The European Union on
Thursday called on Belarus and Russia to quickly resolve their dispute and
guarantee continued and adequate supplies to EU nations.
