Poetin wil dat EU Oekraïnse gasrekening betaald (en)
The EU should pay the Ukrainian gas debt and not be "stingy", Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin i said on Monday, raising fresh concerns about gas disruptions in the upcoming winter, just as Kiev prepares for presidential elections.
"We have already paid US$2.5 billion to Ukraine for the transit. In other words, we rendered big economic aid to our Ukrainian partners by paying for the transit until the first quarter of 2010 inclusive. So let Europeans give at least a billion. Why are they being so stingy? They have money too," Mr Putin said on Monday after meeting his Danish counterpart, Lars Lokke Rasmussen i.
Mr Putin also took the European Commission and the Swedish EU presidency to task for not dealing with the potential payment problems on the Ukrainian side.
"This is a question for the president of the European Union and the president of the European Commission today. They said before it was possible and that they needed a month and a half to two months. Three months have already passed. It's about time to get something done," the former KGB officer said.
The implied threat to cut gas supplies to Europe during the winter for the third time in four years also comes ahead of key elections in Ukraine.
The country faces presidential elections on 17 January, with incumbent head of state Viktor Yushchenko last Thursday having registered his candidacy. But he is unlikely to make it in the second round, as polls show his contenders ahead by tens of percentage points - Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and former pro-Moscow premier Viktor Yanukovich.
"The IMF says Ukraine has no financial problems and it has money. The head of the Ukrainian government [Ms Tymoshenko] says Mr Yushchenko is blocking the transfer of money from the central bank to the government for payment. We do not interfere. These are Ukraine's internal affairs during the election campaign," Mr Putin said.
In August, international lenders and the EU commission agreed to an €1 billion loan deal to help secure European gas supplies, in order to avoid a repeat of the gas crises in January 2009 and 2006.
In return, the EU has sought more transparent and commercial terms for how gas is traded between Russia and Ukraine. Some 80 percent of Europe's gas imports from Russia transit Ukraine.
Ukraine is already getting a €11 billion rescue loan from the International Monetary Fund, as it is facing a severe recession and empty state coffers.
It is supposed to pay every month for the gas it receives from Russia. On Friday, Ukrainian state-owned energy company Naftogaz rejected reports of gas payment problems, saying it would pay for Russia natural gas supplied in October on time and in full.