Natural gas prices spiked across Europe, and six nations in southeastern Europe reported a complete cut-off today of natural gas shipments from Russian giant OAO Gazprom through the Ukrainian pipelines.
Russia said shipments through Ukraine has a high risk of being siphoned off, and while they didn’t name names that’s almost certainly referring to Ukraine itself, which is billions of dollars in debt to Gazprom.
Gazprom officials say they’re not really cutting off Europe so much as trying to shift the supply route to the southeast to go through Turkey, which it considers a much more reliable transit route.
In the long run this might be a good thing for European nations, heavily dependent on Russia for supply, and consequently stuck trying to bail out Ukraine to keep shipments flowing.
It’s bad timing, in mid-winter, however, and Bulgaria, one of the nations cut off in the shift, says it only had a few days of supply left. The EU insisted the shift was “completely unacceptable,” but they don’t appear to have any alternative but to accept the move.
They asked for it and they have only their US masters to thank. Why on earth you would want to antagonize the only guy who can sell you gas is something I guess you have the be an ivy-league crook, I mean, grad to understand. Russia should now start working on causing regime change in the affected European countries. Let's see how they like it, when it's done to them.
Done to "them"??? What European country overthrew what government? Once again, it's victimising the victims! Because the US overthrew the government of country A, Russia is entitled to overthrow the government of country B! By the way, I don't see how Russia could cause regime change in any European country. After 45 years of Soviet occupation and Putin showing signs of wanting to re-establish that, Russia has no credibility anywhere in Europe.
Glad to see you finally accept that DC toppled the Yanakovic government, MIke.
Russia has no credibility anywhere in Europe? How little do you know Europe then! Hungary has been the subject of vicious attacks from DC for daring to favor Russia, and not accepting being caged by EU sanctions. Hungary signed up a deal with Russia to build nuclear reactor. Immediately, there are NGO's on the streets, on command. DC declares their officials to be "corrupt", and have been banned, but would not say who? Hungary protested that it is being treated as Guantanamo, and has made it clear that they can have relationships with whoever they want — what a cardinal sin in the eyes of Brussels and Washington. Let's see, most of the German populations and German businesses are against the sanctions, but too bad. They are ruled from neocons in Brussels, not by their government. Let me count — Slovakia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia, Greece. They will — if allowed by their colonial administrations — have tighter relationships with Russia. In Serbia today there are FOUR parties that are for abandoning the process of trying to get into EU, and are for strategic alliance with Russia. Most of the population in recent poll would much rather join Eurasian Economic Union then European Union. You have to know what people think — not what controlled media says in Eastern Europe today. Most of those countries have eagerly waited to be part of Europe, and having learned that the only interest Europe has is in their banking, telecom, and whatever other wealth they have. While population has been steadily becoming poorer, going hungry, and angry. Most people live BY FAR WORSE then they had lived under bad communism. As bad as it was — as it was crude and dumb — it took care of the basic needs. Nobody went without work if they wanted one, nobody went hungry, nobody was without health care, or working without pay — which is often the case in "capitalist" colonial Bulgaria, Macedonia or Serbia.
You SERIOUSLY need to get out in the real world, or just find friends who know something. There is no point living in fantasy. It does not put gas in your tractor, or food on the table.
Russia is right, fashist / US sponsored/ junta cant be trusted. Current Ukraine leaders / criminals and liers/ use to same language like Israels criminals leaders.
Ukraine people have to wake up before is not to late….Pedro CR
The more Putin plays tricks like this, the more he shows that there is no point in negotiating with him. Sooner or later, he's going to have to be taken out by force.
We'll cheer you on, Michael! LOL
Step right up to the plate, Mike.
It was Ukraine with help from the USA and Europe that initiated this crisis. They had no cards to play from the start. These fascist Ukrainians who worship war criminals will be in the same boat as their Nazi heroes. Out of gas. Hopefully this will end this absurd war of choice by the capitalist west.
This is worthy of reporting. Your violent ideas may be just a tip of an iceberg. I do not approve of it, and no amount of commenting will change mind of a violent person. You are making me question your state of mental balance.
Michael,
We have no love for any world leader around here but for the sake of the FBI's investigation of Antiwar.com as well as a commitment to non violence , it might be best if you not suggest assassination of any one for any reason.
Peace,
Angela
Was that referenced article from the Daily Mail written yesterday or 5-6 years ago?
Clue #1: referring to Putin as Prime Minister.
Clue #2: Germany "exposed" (they get supply via nordstream)
Clue #3: "Middle East tension over Israeli incursions into Palestinian-held Gaza. " Have I missed something in the last few days?
And not a peep on this from the Western MSM!
Michael above says "sooner or later, he's going to have to be taken out by force" Putin that is. Well pray tell us, by whom? US SOF operators perhaps – I can imagine them clear dropped near Moscow – high altitude low opening insertion, equipped with M4 Carbines with multi-spectral optics and duffel bags staffed with bars of semtex. A cruise missile decapitation? Or may be one of them Death Gliders err.. drones i mean.
Michael, a more intriguing question is, what is some one of obvious low intelligence (unless you are a child) doing around here? This website is, IM (not so humble)O, the most informative and important news aggregator bar none.
To bring you back to reality, if Russia is drawn into a shooting war, Coon Creak will not hide your ignorant self – It will be incinerated with the rest of the USA.
I, for one, think this drivel of 'taking Putin out by force' would be one of the worst possible moves we could make. Putin is holding Russia together and bringing it along to get up to par with other nations of the world- and he's got a huge job to do considering the damage we did following the breakup of the Soviet Union. How'd that American-style 'democracy' work out for them? Not very well, it seems. And now you want to 'take him out'? What or who, pray tell, do you think will step up to the plate to take his place? Personally, I'd rather have Putin in power, but if you don't you might consider keeping him on in the spirit of being 'the devil you know'.
Now, if you want to start talking about leaders who need to be 'taken out', it might be something to think about that others just like you in other countries might think the same of Obama. The question then is, if Obama was 'taken out' do you REALLY want Biden as President? Really?
Caesar,
Let's keep the language about "taking out" anyone to a minimum. We are going for the non-violent (and mind our own business) approach to conflict solving. Further, Joe Biden as leader of the "free world" might be triggering to those of delicate sensibilities.
Peace,
Angela
The story is really about the European Commission Vice-Pres For Energy Union, Maros Sefcovic going to Moscow on January 14, 2015 to put the Russkies in their place over the South Stream pipeline. The confusion arose because a 2009 article about the cutoff of natural gas through Ukraine because Ukraine refused to pay for the gas it was using and refused to stop siphoning off gas that was intended to go from Russia to the EU, and the Russians reacted by cutting off all gas through Ukraine in 2006 and 2009. There has not been a cutoff of natural gas to the EU recently. Gas supplies to Ukraine were cut off in about June 2014, but were resumed about December 8, 2014 after a deal was reached for Ukraine to pay the arrears on its gas bill. The current news is only about the attempt by the European Commission to get the Russians and Gazprom to agree to renew the cancelled South Stream project.
The South Stream pipeline was proposed by Russia as the second part of their plan to bypass the Ukraine gas transit problems, which had led to Russia cutting off gas through Ukraine in 2006 and 2009. The first part was the "North Stream" line under the Baltic to Germany (completed in 2012).
The US was pushing the EC to favor the Southern Corridor line proposals to bring gas from the Caspian basin and Middle East, arguing that the EU should diversify their suppliers away from Russia. The US/EC favored lines were Nabucco, TANAP, and TAP.
After Russia signed contracts in 2008 for South Stream with the EU nations along the South Stream route, the EC tried to throw a wrench in the South Stream project by enacting their "Third Energy Package" which envisaged a gas pipeline grid throughout the EU but contained "competition rules" that said no party could both own and send all the gas via a pipeline. This was an attempt to force Russia and Gazprom to hand over a large piece of the ownership and control of the line and to give the EC leverage to force reductions in the price of gas (as well as extend the EC bureaucratic control over gas distribution and negotiations with Russia for gas). Gazprom continued with construction on the Russian end, while trying to negotiate with the EC. Bulgaria, Hungary, and Austria said they would honor their contracts with Russia and ignore the EC rules. The EC threatened to sue them. Then the head of Bulgaria got visited by John McCain and announced that Bulgaria would follow EC rules and refuse to issue permits for construction of the line (June?, 2014).
Putin then announced on December 1st that, since the EU did not want South Stream, it would not be built. Instead the line and its 63 Billion cubic metres of gas per year would be diverted to Turkey in the new Turk Stream line. The EC went into denial, saying South Stream was not dead, that all the objections to South Stream would magically disappear, that Putin's decision was not final, and that Russia was invited to negotiate further. Bulgaria and other countries along the route stand to lose multiBillion-dollar construction activity, direct access to gas, and transit fees of about $500 Million per year each. Russia ignored their invitations to negotiate further.
Then ECVP Sefcovic said he was going to Moscow on Jan. 14 to explain to the Russians why South Stream would go ahead and why it would be built according to EC rules. Alexei Miller, head of Gazprom, told him:
"FU. South Stream will not be built. You idiots and your unreasonable demands killed the project. The gas that is now flowing through Ukraine will be sent to Turkey instead once the Turk Stream line is built. If the EU wants the 63 Billion Cubic metres of gas per year, the EU will have to arrange pipelines to connect with the Turk Stream hub at the Turk/Greek border. Stuff your Third Energy Package. You can take your pompous ass and haughty attitude back to Brussels. And kiss my ass on the way out" (my paraphrasing).
The cat is among the EU pigeons. And the pigeons are starting to see where they stand.