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.”
DETERRENCE: With 1,000 indigenous Hsiung Feng II and III missiles and 400 Harpoon missiles, the nation would boast the highest anti-ship missile density in the world With Taiwan wrapping up mass production of Hsiung Feng II and III missiles by December and an influx of Harpoon missiles from the US, Taiwan would have the highest density of anti-ship missiles in the world, a source said yesterday. Taiwan is to wrap up mass production of the indigenous anti-ship missiles by the end of year, as the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology has been meeting production targets ahead of schedule, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said. Combined with the 400 Harpoon anti-ship missiles Taiwan expects to receive from the US by 2028, the nation would have
POSSIBILITIES EMERGE: With Taiwan’s victory and Japan’s narrow win over Australia, Taiwan now have a chance to advance if South Korea also beat the Aussies Taiwan has high hopes that the national baseball team would advance to the World Baseball Classic (WBC) quarter-finals after clinching a crucial 5-4 victory over South Korea in a nail-biting extra-inning game at the Tokyo Dome yesterday. Boosted by three home runs — two solo shots by Yu Chang (張育成) and Cheng Tsung-che (鄭宗哲) and a two-run homer by Stuart Fairchild — the triumph gave Taiwan a much-needed second victory in the five-team Pool C, where only the top two finishers would advance to the knockout stage in Miami, Florida. Entering extra innings with the game tied at four apiece, Taiwan scored
MISSION OF PEACE: The foreign minister urged Beijing to respect Taiwan’s existence as an independent nation, and work together to ensure peace and stability in the region Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) yesterday rejected Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi’s (王毅) comments about Taiwan, criticizing China as a “troublemaker” in the international community and a disruptor of cross-strait peace. Speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of the Chinese National People’s Congress, Wang said that Taiwan has always been a territory of China and that it would be impossible for it to become its own country. The “return” of Taiwan to China was the natural outcome of the Chinese people’s resistance against Japan in World War II, and that any pursuit of independence was “doomed
‘UNWAVERING FRIENDSHIP’: A representative of a Japanese group that co-organized a memorial, said he hopes Japanese never forget Taiwan’s kindness President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday marked the 15th anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, urging continued cooperation between Taiwan and Japan on disaster prevention and humanitarian assistance. Lai wrote on social media that Taiwan and Japan have always helped each other in the aftermath of major disasters. The magnitude 9 earthquake struck northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011, triggering a massive tsunami that claimed more than 19,000 lives, according to data from Japanese authorities. Following the disaster, Taiwan donated more than US$240 million in aid, making it one of the largest contributors of financial assistance to Japan. In addition to cash donations and
RSS