Gazprom Presses Naftogaz for Payment of Gas Deliveries

Russia’s Gazprom said that Ukraine’s Naftogaz did not respect the deadline to pay for August gas deliveries, raising concerns over the ability of Kiev to honour its debt with Moscow. Possible repercussion on Europe cannot be excluded. 

“The situation with Ukraine’s gas payments is coming to the boil. Ukraine has failed to pay fully for August supply,” Alexei Miller said during a meeting with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. 

Ukraine’s Prime Minister argued that his government is not responsible for the debt, signed by Naftogaz. 

“The (Ukrainian) government is monitoring the issue, but this primarily is a question concerning two companies and they have to sort things out,” commented Prime Minister Mykola Azarov on Tuesday.

Ukraine is expected to sign a free trade agreement with the European Union in a few weeks. Some experts see in the coming agreement the reason of the tensions between Kiev and Moscow.  

The arm wrestling between the two countries revives fears for Europe, with possible halts to deliveries from Russia like in the winters of 2006 and 2009.