Deal uncertain even after EU brokers Russia-Ukraine gas standoff

09 January 2009

European states can once again hope to warm themselves in the freezing winter as the nine-day impasse between Russia and Ukraine looks likely to be resolved with the European Union-brokered agreement by proposing to send international observors to Ukraine to monitor Russian gas deliveries to Europe via Ukrainian pipelines.

The gas pricing and transit fees row between Russia and Ukraine had snowballed into a verbal duel with Russia accusing Ukraine of siphoning the gas meant for Europe from the transit pipelines running through Ukraine for its own consumption after Moscow cut off gas supplies to Kiev.

However, Ukraine has not signed a formal agreement for allowing international and Russian observors to monitor Ukraine pipelines and pumping stations and there is no guarantee that the deal would still go through.

The agreement centered round international monitors verifying the quantity of gas pumped by Russia and whether the same quantity reached Europe.

The breakthrough in the impasse came when the agreement brokered in Brussels between Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek who spoke to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who agreed to the EU deploying international monitors to check gas supplies so that it is not pilfered by Ukraine.

Russia had demanded that for the smooth transit of gas through Ukraine, Russian monitors should also be included in the international monitoring team and EU official's pressurised Ukraine to accept this proposal to break the deadlock.