EU is not ready to stop buying Russian gas

Last week the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for sanctions against Russian energy companies and abolition of the South Stream gas pipeline project. European lawmakers believed the EU authorities should reconsider and possibly suspend all treaties signed with Russia.

 

However European Comissioner for Energy Günther Oettinger says the EU is not ready to stop buying Russian gas in the coming years. Previously, the official said that Russia has to settle its conflict with Ukraine or face the consequences.

 

The authorities in Kyiv believe that the recent changes concerning gas deliveries (including obligatory payment in advance) introduced by Russia are nothing but another act of aggression. In spite of that, Russian President Vladimir Putin insists that gas deliveries have nothing to do with politics. "We simply want the money Ukraine owes us for the delivered gas," he says.

 

Experts believe that the gas conflict can be settled if a trilateral gas consortium is established. "We should demonstrate our political interest in a mutual decision which will lead to stabilization of the Ukrainian political situation. So, establishing a trilateral consortium – the EU, especially Germany, as Germany is interested in Russian gas supplies. We, Gazprom, other companies, Naftagas, should talk and think about a settlement of the problem. The Ukrainian pipelines are the foundation of the sovereignty and budget of Ukraine. At least, Ukraine considers it in the following way. I think in the current situation in Ukraine, we should think about the idea again. We should consider settling the issue more flexibly. I don’t know who should initiate such talks, I don’t think it could be solved at the conference, but at least we could discuss the idea. I hope the talks will take place. The Ukrainian gas transport system should be beneficial for Ukraine," Alexander Rahr, advisor to the president of the German-Russian International Trade Chamber, says.

 

According to Ivan Grachov, the head of the State Duma's Committee for Energy, Russia, Ukraine and the EU should cooperate in various fields and not just in the sphere of the gas industry.

 

"Germany, Russia and Ukraine can quickly develop together projects in aviation, including AN airplanes, they are very good, in turbine production that are made in Kharkov, in nuclear energy. Regardless of the fact that Germany is rejecting nuclear plants, they still exist elsewhere and give a possibility for good joint projects with Kharkov turbines, German automatics, our blocks and so on," he says.

 

"The situation with South Stream is exaggerated. All the countries along its line - Hungary, Bulgaria, Serbia, Italy  - want it, because they know that it is the best possibility of guaranteeing relatively cheap gas supplies. But the Brussels democracy starts telling the national parliaments that they cannot do it within the framework of the third energy package. In my opinion, the answer is obvious. If this third energy package interferes with life, it has to be modified to change the things that prevent you from living and working. It will be a good solution. In my opinion, the powerful countries like Germany that understand the economic basis of all those events need to correct the bureaucracy in Brussels," he adds.

 

"In this sense the joint development of Siberian energy resources by European companies is a powerful project that can provide a dynamic to Europe. Because Europe now is a construction that has lost its dynamic. I think this is very important. Everything starts with those concrete stories - agreement on Ukrainian pipelines, the South Stream, changes to the third energy package. This is an example of our inter-parliamentary working groups. We are trying not to separate from each other, not to make ultimatums, but to bring together reasonable deputies in Germany, in Brussels, in Russia, and together look for reasonable legislative solutions," the lawmaker believes.