Russia slams the brakes on gas deal

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.new...

Press Trust of India
MOSCOW, Jan. 12: A tripartite deal to resume supplies of Russian natural gas to the European Union via Ukraine has collapsed, with Moscow walking out accusing Kiev of “making a mockery” of the agreement by adding new conditions to it.
At an urgent meeting with foreign minister Mr Sergei Lavrov last night, President Dmitry Medvedev said the deal for the earliest resumption of natural gas supplies to the EU should not be fulfilled as Kiev had added new conditions to it. Over the weekend Moscow and Kiev separately signed agreements with the EU to set up international monitoring at gas inlets and outlets in both countries. Russia cut off gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine on 7 January, after it accused Kiev of stealing gas. Earlier on 1 January, it had cut off gas supplies to Ukraine after the state-owned gas monopolies of the two former Soviet republics - Gazprom and Naftagaz Ukrainy, failed to sign a new contract over arrears and transit fee.
Ukrainian PM Mr Yulia Timoshenko added an additional declaration as an integral part of the monitoring agreement brokered during current EU president Czech Republic's Prime Minister Mr Mirek Topolanek's shuttle mission to Moscow and Kiev. The declaration upholds Ukraine as a reliable transit nation and states it has no standing dues, virtually putting the blame on Russia for the disruption of gas supplies to Europe.
“Such conditions make a mockery of common sense and are a violation of agreements we reached earlier. Such actions are meant to thwart the agreement to monitor the gas transits - they are blatantly provocative and destructive,” President Medvedev said in his televised meeting with Mr Lavrov.