Ukraine in Arabic | Ukraine's Naftogaz chief calls Russia's plans to reroute gas 'political bluff'
KIEV/UKRAINE IN ARABIC/ Russia has announced plans to transit gas throught Turkey instead of Ukraine - a decision that seems to have stunned European officials. The head of Ukraine's state energy company Naftogaz, however, called the proposal a "political bluff."
Naftogaz CEO Andriy Kobolyev said the plan has significant technical risks without offering any benefits. Moscow said it will shift its gas flows completely from to Turkey and warned that if the European Union doesn't start building a pipeline extension immediately, it will lose out on that gas supply.
"Frankly speaking, it was news to us," said Deputy Chairman of the Commission for Energy Union Maros Sefaovia.
He added that the plan makes no economic sense.
Russia seems to be trying to cut out Ukraine from gas transit entirely as relations between the two former Soviet states continue to deteriorate over Russia's role in the ongoing insurgency in Ukraine's east. Russia and Ukraine have clashed over energy policy several times in the past decade as Moscow uses gas as leverage over Ukraine and Europe.
Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak called Turkey a more "reliable" partner.
Aleksandr Novak, Russian Energy Minister: "As for the transfer of gas volumes on the routes and the construction of a new structure, it means that we're diversifying and eliminating the risk of unreliable countries, which have caused us many problems in recent years, including in the supply of gas to our European consumers."
Russia had panned to build a massive pipeline - the South Stream project - under the Black Sea to bypass Ukraine, but that proposal was scrapped last year under pressure from the European Union.
UKRAINE TODAY