Word: russia
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...While the site implied that Russia was not ready to budge on any of the issues on the table, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev made the point exceedingly clear. "The Russian Federation has not given any assurances and will not give any," he said after requests from the European side that the January gas crisis - when Russia cut off supplies to Ukraine for over a payment dispute - not be repeated. Although smiles abounded and the talks were held at the Musical Comedy Theatre, just off Khabarovsk's main Karl Marx Prospekt, the tone was one of disagreement. (See pictures of Russians...
...major sticking point was Ukraine's place in the gas supply chain between Russia and Europe, and the country's role in the January gas war. In the coming months, Ukraine will have to spend $4 billion to buy the 19.5 billion cubic meters of gas it requires to fill its storage reservoirs before the cold comes again. But how it will afford the purchase from Russia remains unclear. "We have doubts about the solvency of Ukraine," Medvedev said, according to Russian news agency Interfax. "We are ready to help Ukraine, but we would like to see much of this...
...response, head of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso said that the two parties involved in the dispute should be the ones to settle it: "We have asked Russia and Ukraine to do everything they can to avoid such crises. It would not be good for the overall climate of relations if such a crisis happened again." Barroso was part of a delegation that included E.U. foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Czech President Vaclav Klaus, whose country holds the E.U. presidency. (Read: "Vaclav Klaus: "The Man with the E.U.'s Fate in His Hands...
...Medvedev said Russia could help with some of the cost, but not all. "When it comes to credit, let us help syndicate the corresponding money for Ukraine, but this should not be only Russia doing this," he said. "At the end of the day, it is not us who have problems paying." Yet, observers see Medvedev's comment as more of a barb than as a viable suggestion. "I would be surprised if the E.U. felt that [helping Ukraine purchase gas from Russia] was an appropriate use of their funds," says Niall Trimble, director of The Energy Contract Company...
...Trimble acknowledges that, even amid the quarreling, the summit showed some hope: "Russia has a good track record. They were always seen as a very reliable supplier. There is no reason to believe the problems can't be resolved. I think the chances are pretty good that gas will continue...