Posted on 05/08/2014 6:29:52 PM PDT by tcrlaf
Russia ordered crisis-hit Ukraine on Thursday to pay upfront for all its future natural gas deliveries because of billions of dollars in outstanding debts.
The largely-anticipated announcement imperils supplies to a large swathe of the European Union because nearly 15 percent of all Russian gas consumed by the 28-nation bloc transits through Ukraine.
Ukraine has refused to meet the deadline in protest over Russia's decision to nearly double the price it charges its neighbour for gas imports following the February overthrow of a Kremlin-backed regime in Kiev.
(Excerpt) Read more at globalpost.com ...
Although the allegation originated with the Ukrainian government in this article, it did so in 2013, before Yanukovych quit the Ukraine. See:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3153946/posts
Honestly it looks to me like both Lithuania and Ukraine (and a few others) are pissed because they believe Gazprom is charging unfair prices.
The numbers you cite are what these countries contend they SHOULD have paid if Gazprom was fair.
Gazprom contends that's the price, pay it or we stop shipping our gas to you.
Sheesh, that's like me going to the gas station and filling up for $80, driving the tank empty and then telling Chevron they owe me $20 because they artificially increased the price above fair market value.
If they don't like what Gazprom charges they can buy it someplace else. There are bunches of LPG tankers in the world.
And every one of them knew what the price would be before the gas shipped.
They're likely to recover substantial monies if Gazprom and Russia decide to play along and admit they were charging more than necessary to make a modest profit.
But if they decide not to play, they just turn off the spigot and tell them to buy elsewhere.
It make take time to re-jigger things but BOTH parties can find alternatives.
“Honestly it looks to me like both Lithuania and Ukraine (and a few others) are pissed because they believe Gazprom is charging unfair prices.”
“The numbers you cite are what these countries contend they SHOULD have paid if Gazprom was fair.”
No, you are misrepresenting the facts. The complaints from the many European nations against Russia’s Gazprom monopoly is its noncompliance with the terms of the contracts and regulatory laws. Gazprom is alleged to have overcharged the prices and quantities set forth in the terms of the contracts. These allegations have already been confirmed in at least one case by an arbitration court ruling in favor of Germany’s RWE complaint against Gazprom overcharges. See the Freerepublic post.
~Gee. March 19 2014 sign up and already trolling for Putin full time or did something happen to the previous account?
So you believe everything spat out by the Russian KGB propaganda machine but you question someone outed the Putin lie machine?~
It is a projection on your part.
You have picked side and ignoring any wrong with it. I guess the reason is that you hate everything Russian.
I’m fully aware that both sides are using propaganda and I’m not even a Putin supporter but I don’t think Russia is wrong all the time.
Both sides are wrong in Ukraine right now but I can see more sense behind Russian actions, much less behing Ukrainian self-appointed government.
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