Russia set to resume EU gas supplies

RUSSIA - Russia on Tuesday was set to resume pumping gas to Europe through Ukraine, promising to ease a crisis that has left hundreds of thousands of Europeans without heat in the depths of winter.

The order to reopen the taps at 0700 GMT was given late Monday by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin after the European Union brokered a deal to end a bitter dispute in which Moscow accused Kiev of stealing gas bound for Europe.

But supplies for the EU could take several days to return to normal and Russia’s state-run gas giant Gazprom has warned that deliveries would be cut again if Ukraine continues siphoning off gas — an allegation denied by Kiev. “In case of unsanctioned siphoning of gas we will decrease volumes delivered by the volume stolen per 24 hours.

Russia’s position on this has been conveyed to the European Commission,” Gazprom chief executive Alexei Miller said Monday.

Russian newspapers were skeptical that the “gas war” was over despite the EU-brokered deal.

Moscow, Tuesday, AFP