Russia, Ukraine Dispute Leaves European Nations Without Gas

[WillowTree]

KIEV, Ukraine — At least two Bulgarian cities were totally without gas Tuesday, and nations like Turkey were turning to Iran to bolster their supplies, as a natural gas crisis looms over Europe after a contract dispute between Russia and Ukraine led Russia to shut off gas supplies to seven countries and reduce gas deliveries to several others.

The shortfalls came one day after Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin ordered Gazprom, the Russian state gas company, to cut supplies shipped through Ukraine by amounts equal to those Russia claims Ukraine has "stolen," AFP reported.


FOXNews.com - Russia, Ukraine Dispute Leaves European Nations Without Gas - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News

 

[Toro]

Russia is using Gazprom as a geopolitical weapon. It is sending a message to eastern Europe of "You are our bee-atchs, so don't get too close to the Americans." The message to the rest of Europe is "we can do this to you too."

The sooner Western Europe starts building LNG plants and pipelines from Algeria, the better.

 

[Red Dawn]

Russia, Ukraine Dispute Leaves European Nations Without Gas

I think we should go to war over this.

 

[Avatar4321]

Yikes! And it's cold there in the winter. This is major.

You know, I know alot of people yell "No blood for oil" as an anti war slogan. But I think we need to realize that not everyone feels the same way about energy. Especially when not having the resources mean that people will spend the winter suffering through the cold.

There may be some nations who think that going to war to fight for energy might be a better alternative than freezing to death in their houses.

Of course, they might also think it might be better to just roll over and submit to the Russians as well.

Needless to day this isnt good for anyone.

 

[Munin]

I hope that this whole embarresment for the European "Union", will remember us not to trust the Russians. It should be used as a lesson that would make us never again depending on anything from Russia, let them depend on our money: not we being dependent on their gas. I hope it will bring Europe gas-supplies from Africa and other countries so Europe has an independent energy policy from this moment on forward.


The fact that this happens at the peak of one of the strongest winters in decades is just an insult towards European states who actually paid for the gas. So if Russia promises a state gas and they pay for it, then we should expect to receive that gas. The transportation of the gas is a Russian problem not a European one because Russia is responsible for the delivery.


I hope Russia will pay the price for what they did on the long term and they probably will.

 

[editec]

We all live downwind, folks.

Right now the winds are blowing hard on Europe.


Those people have my sympathy.

 

[Munin]

I hope Russia will pay the price for what they did on the long term and they probably will.

There you have it:

"If the agreement sponsored by the European Union is not honored as a matter of urgency, the commission will advise European companies to take this matter to the courts and call on member states to engage in a concerted action to find alternative ways of energy supply and transit," Barroso said.

With Gas Still Off, Europe Increasingly Critical Of Russia, Ukraine - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty © 2009

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15_VZKSYFL4]YouTube - Barroso warns Russia, Ukraine on gas exports to Europe[/ame]

But still a weak reaction, considering that Eastern Europeans were freezing and would be for at least a half a week more (that is how long it takes for the gas to reach Eastern Europe) at the moment of the speech.