Russia-Ukraine gas dispute resurfaces as 2009 commences

摘要

Russia and Ukraine have once again descended into conflict over gas deliveries and, as in 2006, the dispute is now disrupting gas supplies to Gazprom’s customers in Europe. Gazprom claims that it is owed around $2 bn by Ukraine for gas deliveries made in 2008, including late payment fines and interest. Ukraine, for its part, insists that it paid in late December the $1.5 bn it owed for gas deliveries in 2008, but it is disputing the fines and interest payments of $614 mn, which it has not paid. Gazprom has confirmed that it expects to receive the $1.5 bn on the 11th of January, once the payment clears the banking system, but insists that the fines and interest payments were stipulated under the terms of the 2008 contract between Gazprom and Ukraine’s Nafogaz and remain payable.