Ukraine Asks Brussels to Monitor Russian Gas Flows to Europe

Ukraine intends to move closer to Europe, decreasing its reliance on Russia through better connections with the EU and a stronger cooperation with Brussels to jointly monitor Russian gas shipments.   

Naftogaz reported on its website that Ukraine has not yet provided the pre-payment for Russian gas, which is a condition to restarting Russian gas supplies to Kiev.

"As soon as we decide it is time to pay for Russian gas, we will make an advance payment” Naftogaz Chief Executive Andriy Kobolyev said, adding that the deal was a stepping stone to meet peak demand when the temperatures will go down during the winter.  

Also this week, Kobolyev put pressure on European authorities to step-up efforts to implement a monitoring system for Russian gas supplies, while also applying the Third Energy Package on the Vojany-Uzhgorod pipeline that could supply 10 bcm of gas from Slovakia to Ukraine.  

Kobolyev said that the best way to avoid a 2009-like crisis is to have European experts in Ukraine, monitoring gas flows from Russia to Europe. 

As already said, European authorities are working with ENTSOG to find a way to implement the monitoring system.