MOSCOW, April 30 (RIA Novosti) - Ukraine needs to
purchase at least 19.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas to
maintain gas transit gas to Europe, a Russian deputy prime
minister said on Thursday.
"Ukraine has to purchase and pump no less than 19.5
billion cubic meters of natural gas into its underground gas
storage facilities soon, to ensure the uninterrupted transit of
Russian gas to European consumers," Igor Sechin said after a
meeting with EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs.
Sechin said that if Ukraine fails to do so, "the
disastrous tragedy we lived through in January would recur."
Gazprom suspended gas deliveries to Ukraine on January 1
over non-payment, and the sides' failure to reach a new gas
deal. A week later, Gazprom accused Ukraine of stealing gas
intended for EU consumers and cut off gas deliveries to the
European Union via the country, prompting two weeks of gas
shortfalls across much of Eastern Europe.
The standoff was resolved after negotiations between
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian
counterpart Yulia Tymoshenko resulted in the signing of a new
gas agreement on January 19.
Sechin also said that Russia was prepared to help Ukraine
finance purchases of gas required for transit to Europe through
the Ukrainian transportation system.
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