Posted on 05/14/2005 10:49:15 AM PDT by Destro
Associated Press
Ukrainian PM Blames Russia for Oil Woes
05.14.2005, 12:02 PM
Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on Saturday accused Russia of suspending oil deliveries to Ukraine, and gas stations throughout this ex-Soviet republic began running out of fuel.
"Oil deliveries to Ukraine are being deliberately stopped even though all contracts have been paid for," Tymoshenko said after a Cabinet meeting Saturday.
Tymoshenko said that "for five days, no oil was pumped at all, even though we have all the necessary agreements."
The allegations are just the latest charges the Ukrainian government has lobbed against Russian oil companies, which supply 80 percent of Ukraine's fuel. Last month, Ukrainian officials accused Russian oil majors of conspiring to raise the price of gasoline and ordered a moratorium on prices, which the companies reluctantly agreed to after being threatened with court action.
Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister Anatoliy Kinakh criticized his Cabinet colleagues Saturday for trying to intervene and set prices, suggesting that had led to the shortage in supply.
"When you have a complicated problem to do with the growth of prices, trying to resolve it by looking for an enemy or using administrative force to put pressure on the market ... this doesn't work," said Kinakh, who is considered business' best friend in the government.
By Saturday evening, gas stations throughout Ukraine - run primarily by Russian companies - were selling gasoline only to buyers who had special coupons or customer cards. Numerous cars were being turned away after waiting in long lines, leaving drivers scrambling to find ways to keep their cars on the road.
Representatives of Russian oil companies could not be reached to comment Saturday, but Russian media quoted oil officials from Lukoil and Tatneft as saying supplies were still being pumped and TNK-BP saying it was supplying a smaller volume due to work on one of its pipelines in Ukraine.
Russian media also suggested that Ukraine had suffered problems with its own pipelines, leading to temporary shutdowns last week.
Ukraine's huge dependence on its former imperial master for fuel is a source of big concern to the new pro-Western government. Tymoshenko has said it is a priority of her government to find alternatives, and suggested that Turkmenistan, which already supplies some fuel to Ukraine, and Iran could become possible suppliers.
"With the situation now being a serious dependence on Russia, Ukraine believes it is necessary to begin studying these variants," Tymoshenko said during a meeting late Friday with a top official from France's state-owned gas company, according to her office.
Russia and Ukraine regularly tussle over energy supplies, leading to temporary disruptions. While the energy-starved Ukrainians are in a more delicate position, the Russians also depend on Ukraine as a transit point to pump their supplies to lucrative markets in the rest of Europe.
Not for long - Russia is building pipelines to bypass the Ukraine.
bump
Well, if the contracts have been paid for, as Timoshenko states - then they ought to be fulfilled. Contract is a contract.
Seems the price was not agreed to though. The Government simply said we will pay this much so they stopped delivering. Most likely they will get more oil when they are willing to pay more for it just as we are paying more for it.
Last month, Ukrainian officials accused Russian oil majors of conspiring to raise the price of gasoline and ordered a moratorium on prices, which the companies reluctantly agreed to after being threatened with court action.
---
Sounds like this guy doesn't know anything about economics. Higher prices will bring more oil to Ukraine. Reminds me of when Jeb Bush foolishly issued no price gouging laws in Fl, thus preventing supplies being rushed to the state.
Where did you get a username like that?
You are correct. It is French-Canadian for 'yes-yes'.
You have a 'beautiful' ("khuevoe"?) screen name. The variations are endless. How about "Dva khuya"?
see #16
:-))))))))))))))0))))))))))))))
It is a case of penis envy. The poor guy naively believes that from using the word [i.e. symbol] twice it [the object symbolized] would become twice as big, stay erect twice as long (and twice more frequently, too) and be twice as hard. Normally such primitive magic symbolism is associated with Neolithic period, and fades away in the Bronze Age.
It will be much worse if instead of having one being twice bigger and twice harder he grows another one :-)))
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.