Reports of progress on negotiations between Ukraine and Russia came to fruition over the weekend, as Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko confirmed a winter natural gas deal.
Under the deal, Ukraine’s Naftogaz gas monopoly will pay $385 per 1,000 cubic meters to Russia’s Gazprom for natural gas, and will repay some of the many billions of dollars they owe for previous unpaid gas.
Poroshenko was pushing for more foreign aid in announcing the deal, saying the $30 billion in bailouts already received were “insufficient.” Exactly how much of the unpaid Gazprom debt Naftogaz will be able to pay remains unclear.
That’s because even while being a deadbeat customer themselves, Naftogaz has problems with its own customers in the rebel eastern oblasts not paying their bills, and collecting those payments is going to be a key to repaying its own debts.
Sounds like Obama needs to slap Russia with more sanctions then…
Well, of course, everyone knows it's all Putin's fault…snark.
So Ukraine wants us to pay Russia what they owe. I know just what I think of that one!! Of course, Ukraine could only have ever successfully defied Russia if it had received substantial economic aid from the US and EU. Neither of those parties ever showed the slightest desire to provide this. Unfortunately there was plenty of hot air egging the conflict on, thus encouraging the Ukrainians to think that they could avoid the arse kissing that they are now going to have to pretend to enjoy.
Ukraine was bought by the US/EU/IMF elites, but it failed to carry out its end of the bargain, which was to prepare the way for international plundering. Any western assistance will come only because the elites decide that further investment is worth the probable outcome. This aid does not seem likely, as the oil shale regions of the Donbass have not been delivered, and indeed cannot be delivered, thanks to the defeat of the Ukrainian military.
well i understand the United States spent 5 billion to organize the over throw of the Ukrainian government . So it should not be so out of place to help the new government we installed with their ligitimate debts
"Naftogaz has problems with its own customers in the rebel eastern oblasts not paying their bills, and collecting those payments is going to be a key to repaying its own debts."
Well, that's what happens when you lose a war and can't collect the pillage and loot you were counting on getting.
I'am sure that east Ukraine could work out something that they pay Russia directly with out going threw the new national socialist Ukrainian government .
What about the Ukraine fascist coup military and it’s unending shelling of civilians in East Ukraine, does Putin want that to erupt into all-out war? Which begs the question, does Putin’s $144 billion have anything to do with his decision making?
What with his pro-Western decision making, surely Putin is doing such a great job boosting our war-time economy that they sould get rid of Obama and make Putin President of Empire USA.
If Russia had a weak and undetermined leader then he wouldn't be hated as Putin is hated. Putin has stood strong against Nato expansion into the Ukraine and that's just not part of Nato's/US's gameplan.
I was hoping in 2012 Putin would swing by HI and pick up a birth certificate and run for president here . He did not do that , but he still is pretty well running the show . Thank goodness
I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the Ukraine to pay up. There are deadbeats, and then there is the Ukraine.
Kiev government used the money received when it took the power to pay its war with Donbass.
Two avantages : 1/renew its armement 2/receive money again for paying gas debt.Smart guys.
An obvious partial solution to Ukraine's problems is to restart all those nukes that it shut down in order to curry favour with the EU. I can just imagine the fuss when they restart the three remaining reactors at Chernobyl!!!