Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom said yesterday that Ukraine had blocked shipments of Russian gas to Europe.
“This morning Gazprom began realizing its plan to restore gas deliveries to Europe. Ukraine blocked all our actions,” the company’s deputy chief, Alexander Medvedev, was quoted by news agency Interfax as saying. “This is a violation of all our previous agreements. Under such conditions, we cannot physical carry out gas transit via Ukrainian territory.”
Russia resumed supplies of gas to Europe at 10am yesterday after observer teams were in place to measure gas under an EU-brokered deal between Moscow and Kiev, who blame each other for the disruptions of supplies to Europe.
Ria-Novosti news agency quoted an anonymous observer as saying the pressure had risen greatly at the Russian Sudzha gas compressor station, but was “zero” entering Ukrainian pipelines.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had given Gazprom the go-ahead to again cut supplies if it believed Ukraine was siphoning off gas meant for Europe.
Moscow and Kiev have not yet resolved the contractual dispute that sparked the crisis on Jan. 1, meaning none of yesterday’s gas flows were to supply Ukraine.
The row, which left EU countries struggling to find energy supplies as temperatures dropped below freezing, is still not fully resolved.
Even before the Russian taps were opened, some Russian officials warned of delays in Ukraine.
“As soon as we start pumping the gas at the entry point, it should appear at the exit point,” Gazprom’s Sergei Kupriyanov said in a statement ahead of the opening.
Kupriyanov said there was still gas in the pipelines even though supply had been completely cut off since last Wednesday, and that this should ensure that gas supplies flow more quickly.
“Comments by Ukraine that 36 hours are needed from the arrival of transit gas from Russia into Ukraine’s gas network until it reaches Ukraine’s western border evoke disbelief and do not meet the current contract,” he said. “From the start of supplies of Russian gas at the entry point into Ukraine’s gas transport system, the volume of gas exiting from the western border of Ukraine must correspond exactly to the quantity supplied.”
Nvidia Corp yesterday unveiled its new high-speed interconnect technology, NVLink Fusion, with Taiwanese application-specific IC (ASIC) designers Alchip Technologies Ltd (世芯) and MediaTek Inc (聯發科) among the first to adopt the technology to help build semi-custom artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure for hyperscalers. Nvidia has opened its technology to outside users, as hyperscalers and cloud service providers are building their own cost-effective AI chips, or accelerators, used in AI servers by leveraging ASIC firms’ designing capabilities to reduce their dependence on Nvidia. Previously, NVLink technology was only available for Nvidia’s own AI platform. “NVLink Fusion opens Nvidia’s AI platform and rich ecosystem for
WARNING: From Jan. 1 last year to the end of last month, 89 Taiwanese have gone missing or been detained in China, the MAC said, urging people to carefully consider travel to China Lax enforcement had made virtually moot regulations banning civil servants from making unauthorized visits to China, the Control Yuan said yesterday. Several agencies allowed personnel to travel to China after they submitted explanations for the trip written using artificial intelligence or provided no reason at all, the Control Yuan said in a statement, following an investigation headed by Control Yuan member Lin Wen-cheng (林文程). The probe identified 318 civil servants who traveled to China without permission in the past 10 years, but the true number could be close to 1,000, the Control Yuan said. The public employees investigated were not engaged in national
CAUSE AND EFFECT: China’s policies prompted the US to increase its presence in the Indo-Pacific, and Beijing should consider if this outcome is in its best interests, Lai said China has been escalating its military and political pressure on Taiwan for many years, but should reflect on this strategy and think about what is really in its best interest, President William Lai (賴清德) said. Lai made the remark in a YouTube interview with Mindi World News that was broadcast on Saturday, ahead of the first anniversary of his presidential inauguration tomorrow. The US has clearly stated that China is its biggest challenge and threat, with US President Donald Trump and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth repeatedly saying that the US should increase its forces in the Indo-Pacific region
ALL TOGETHER: Only by including Taiwan can the WHA fully exemplify its commitment to ‘One World for Health,’ the representative offices of eight nations in Taiwan said The representative offices in Taiwan of eight nations yesterday issued a joint statement reiterating their support for Taiwan’s meaningful engagement with the WHO and for Taipei’s participation as an observer at the World Health Assembly (WHA). The joint statement came as Taiwan has not received an invitation to this year’s WHA, which started yesterday and runs until Tuesday next week. This year’s meeting of the decisionmaking body of the WHO in Geneva, Switzerland, would be the ninth consecutive year Taiwan has been excluded. The eight offices, which reaffirmed their support for Taiwan, are the British Office Taipei, the Australian Office Taipei, the
RSS