... trilateral round of talks between Russia, Ukraine and the EU, which are currently being held in Berlin[13]. The three-party conference, a diplomatic turning point Among other topics, the meeting is centered on the discussion of issues concerning the gas price for Ukraine and its impending debt. The European Union might be trying to put obstacles to the South Stream project in order to grant concessions for Ukraine, most likely in view of its association with the EU. This is quite evidently a dangerous bargaining position. On one side South Stream ...
... the European market and fully matches Gazprom prices for European countries. The alternate price suggested by Kiev is absolutely groundless.
As far as the overall gas settlement is concerned, the heart of the matter seems to lie in the approach of the European Union. Fortunately, Brussels today is deeply involved in gas negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in contrast to 2006 and 2009, when the Europeans deliberately avoided any kind of participation in such processes. But nowadays they appear to be seriously worried about their own continuous gas supply during ...
... metres. Thus a lot, if not everything, will depend on Kiev. Recently, however, Ukrainian policy in many areas has been completely unpredictable, and sometimes simply opposed to logic.
What are the interests of the sides involved in the negotiations?
The European Union will seek any agreement it can between Russia and Ukraine in order to lift the threat of Moscow halting gas supplies via Ukrainian territory in the near future. Russia, which has not yet brought the South Stream gas pipeline into operation, also has an interest in maintaining gas exports to Europe at their previous level and is therefore ready to make some ...
... actions certainly underlined the problems facing the two post-Soviet nations: Ukrainians view Russia as an aggressor against the sovereignty and political independence of Ukraine, whereas Russia views Ukrainians as pseudo-Europeans, who wish to join the European Union out of spite, that is to distance themselves further away from Russia. But this has not always been so.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, despite notable disagreements over Sevastopol and gas transfers, Ukraine had been receiving substantial political and economic support from Russia. Not only did Moscow provide president Leonid Kuchma with political advisers during elections, the Kremlin frequently made a number of economic concessions ...
... Affairs of the Russian Federation Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s speech at 49th Munich security conference. Munchen, 2 February 2013. Available on-line: http://www.mid.ru/brp_4.nsf/0/A9CB4318DB0A5C8444257B0A00376FE8
[4] Council of the European Union 16th EU-Ukraine Summit: Joint Statement. Brussels, 25 February 2013, p.3.
[5] Ukraine seeks spot supply from Europe to replace Russian gas. KyivPost.com, 26 February 2013, 19:20. Available on-line: http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukraine-seeks-spot-supply-from-europe-to-replace-russian-gas-320984.html
[6] 16th EU-Ukraine Summit: Joint Statement, p.3
[7] Zagorski, A. (2011) Eastern ...
