Ukraine And EU Hold Talks On Energy Security

Ukraine And EU Hold Talks On Energy Security

European Union representatives, Ukraine’s energy minister and several industry specialists participated in talks meant to cut both Ukraine’s as well as the EU’s reliance on Russian gas as tensions with the Moscow regime seem to continue growing.

Tensions between the international community and Russia are still high, especially as pro-Moscow protesters seized several government buildings in the eastern part of Ukraine yesterday in what the Ukrainian government said is a replay of the events that led to Russia’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula.

The industrial rich eastern region of Ukraine has a significant Russian and Russian speaking population, with protests being the most violent in cities with a Russian majority.

Ukraine also missed this Tuesday’s Moscow imposed deadline to cut its gas debt by $2.2 billion. Yuri Prodan, Ukraine’s energy minister said that the recent doubling of gas prices by Russia was unjustified and that Ukraine refuses to pay until the situation is resolved. The gas related tensions could have disastrous effects on Ukraine and may even affect the EU as most supply lines run through the country.

A European Union commission asked member states to review gas storage levels, which are quite high after a mild winter, and to prepare next winter’s supply early in order to avoid any possible problems if the situation isn't resolved by then.

Posted by James Fried on Wednesday April 09 2014, 5:17 AM EST. Ref: Reuters. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0