Moscow Times: EU Must Resist Temptation of Energy Union
Energy politics may ultimately define the shape of relations between Russia and the West during this latest crisis in Ukraine. Fears of a cold European winter without adequate amounts of natural gas from Russia are outweighing U.S.-led pressure for tougher sanctions against Moscow.
Nearly a third of Europe's gas comes from Russia, most of it via Ukraine. The prospect of price wars — or worse, disruptions in flow — has motivated Europe to lessen its dependence on Russian energy. Two events this past summer underscored the urgency of the matter.
In mid-June, Brussels, Kiev and Moscow failed to settle a massive dispute over the price of gas that Russia sells to Ukraine — a dispute that reached acute levels in April when Russia raised its prices for Ukraine from $268.50 per 1,000 cubic meters to $485.50, an 80 percent hike. Shortly thereafter, an explosion ripped apart a gas pipeline in central Ukraine.