European partners have left Russia with “no alternative” but to halt supplies of gas to Ukraine and Europe, according to a letter from Russian president Putin to European leaders.
- *EUROPEAN PARTNERS LEAVE RUSSIA ‘NO ALTERNATIVE,’ PUTIN SAYS
- *RUSSIA TO HALT UKRAINE GAS IF PAYMENT VIOLATIONS GO ON: PUTIN
The remarks, as Reuters reports, were the strongest sign yet that Russia could curtail supplies of gas to (and through) Ukraine affecting supplies of gas to Europe (as they fear Ukraine will siphon off Russian gas meant for Europe). Russia is already reducing its delivery through Ukraine but it stil represents 39% of Europe’s demand. Gazprom has also been forced to move to pre-payment terms on any future deliveries (there’s your IMF bailout).
President Vladimir Putin has told European leaders a dispute over Ukraine’s gas debt to Russia could affect supplies of Russian gas to Europe and proposed urgent discussions on the matter, his spokesman said on Thursday.
The remarks were the strongest sign yet that Russia could curtail supplies of gas to Ukraine, which could increase tension between Moscow and Kiev and aggravate the worst crisis in East-West ties since the Cold War.
“The situation is urgent,” Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said after Putin sent a letter expressing deep concern about Ukraine’s $2.2 billion gas debt and warning of a possible impact on the transit of Russian gas to the European Union.
In the letter, Putin proposed “mechanisms of dialogue for urgent discussions of the situation that has developed,” Peskov said. He did not give any details about the proposal or say which leaders were addressed.
Putin also added that Ukraine is in trouble…
- *PUTIN SAYS UKRAINE IS HEADING TOWARD DEFAULT
- *PUTIN URGES TALKS WITH EU MINISTERS ON UKRAINE GAS DEBT
- *GAZPROM FORCED TO MOVE UKRAINE TO PREPAYMENT DUE TO DEBT: PUTIN
Reuters further adds that:
- IN LETTER SEEN BY REUTERS, PUTIN SAYS THERE ARE RISKS UKRAINE WILL SIPHON OFF RUSSIAN GAS DESTINED FOR EUROPE
- PUTIN SAYS IT IS NECESSARY TO PUMP 11.5 BCM OF GAS INTO UKRAINE GAS STORAGES TO SECURE UNINTERRUPTED RUSSIAN GAS TRANSIT TO EUROPE
- PUTIN URGES EUROPE TO URGENTLY DISCUSS MEASURES TO STABILISE UKRAINE’S ECONOMY AND ENSURE DELIVERY AND TRANSIT OF RUSSIAN GAS
via Zero Hedge http://ift.tt/1n7XjXw Tyler Durden