Vladimir Putin offered EU to share risks and set up a consortium to buy from Gazprom the gas Ukraine says is necessary to resume transit to Europe
Ukraine asked Russia to provide 1.7 billion cubic meters of gas in the first quarter of 2009 to ensure the transit of Russian gas to Europe.
Russian PM proposed the European countries to pay for this gas. His idea was considered as "constructive" by Paolo Scaroni, CEO of Italy's ENI energy company.
Even though Gazprom's official spokesman said on Thursday the Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz was technically able to unblock Russian natural gas transit to Europe but lacked permission from Kiev to do so.
Meanwhile, Ukraine urged on Thursday Russian energy giant Gazprom to sign a temporary agreement on the transit of gas to Europe. Gazprom said earlier Thursday that it had received a third refusal from Naftogaz to transit Russian gas on to Europe over the lack of a "technical" gas transfer agreement for 2009.
Russia insists its gas exit points have been open for three days now with gas pressure along the export pipeline sufficient to allow for the immediate resumption of gas transits to Europe.
Author:
Ksenia Kochneva
