Russia cuts gas to Europe

[baggygreen]

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574...07-401,00.html

The dangers of provoking the russian bear.

The article mentions an accusation by the Ukranians that it is all a fabrication of Russia's. I agree. This way, russia is punishing Ukraine, and is punishing Europe for pushing NATO further and further eastwards. Russia can use the gas themselves, or they can sell it south or eastwards where there are millions of consumers at the ready.

Russia 1 - Europe 0

[Onkel Neal]

It's ok, Europe really wants to go green anyway.

[Zachstar]

Natural Gas is clean.

Unlike Oil which is normally well trapped. Natural Gas seeps out all the time and is a natural part of the cycle.

Granted much of it is underground but in comparison to coal and oil. It is green enough.

[Sailor Steve]

Oh.

I thought the title meant that...

[baggygreen]

Is it related to this perhaps?

Probably a coincidence, but one can never tell. Europe struggling through winter will have some sort of effect through to the US, and now our friend Mr Chavez is cutting some oil to the states. Its not enough to warrant much attention, but it is enough to make a subtle point if that is the intent.

:hmm:

[Dan D]

I dunno, how the other the peeps are doing, but for Germany it looks like this:

gas supply from Russia 37 %, part of it via the Ukraine,

Norway 26 %,

Netherlands 18 %,

Germany 15 %,

Denmark 4 %.

Pipelines from Russia to Germany go via the Ukraine, Belarus and Poland.
Gazprom (Russia) has announced, that it will reduce the gas transfer via the Ukraine and that it will make more use of the Belarus and Poland pipelines.
It seems, that the Ukraine, quote from the article: " RUSSIA had drastically cut gas supplies to Europe, the Ukraine Government says", is looking for allies.

Gazprom statement:
http://www.gazprom.ru/eng/news/2009/01/33513.shtml

I am a little bit worried about England, though. Its energy demand at present is fullfilled with 80 % seabird guano from Iceland and with 20 % marsh gases from French cows. Potential gas transfer from Russia to England would happen through pipelines via Germany. Though luck!

[Rockstar]

According to the EU' new president global warming is tripe http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle5430362.ece .

Maybe they will go to war for oil, launching attacks in fast American gas guzzling SUVs with big tail fins.

He also says Israel is on the defensive and not on offense. I like this new EU President so far. Of course Sarkozy is talkin smack about Israel but if he doesn't he gonna have another uprising in those no go zones in his own country.

[em2nought]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

It's ok, Europe really wants to go green anyway.

Great comment, I've been "borrowing" it all day.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by baggygreen

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574...07-401,00.html

The dangers of provoking the russian bear.

The article mentions an accusation by the Ukranians that it is all a fabrication of Russia's. I agree. This way, russia is punishing Ukraine, and is punishing Europe for pushing NATO further and further eastwards. Russia can use the gas themselves, or they can sell it south or eastwards where there are millions of consumers at the ready.

Russia 1 - Europe 0

Russia is not the only one flexing its muscle - the Ukraine does the same, and maybe even more than Russia.

Of course, energy politics has always been power politics for Russia, that's why it was questionable to allow the EU consuming Russian gas to such a degree (one third of Germany's gas is Russian), even more questionable was to hinder the direct pipeline from russia via the Baltic sea to Germany, bypassing all nations inbetween: Baltic states, Poland, Ukraine. But somebody in Poland protested to become minimised in strategic importance that way, so it gets delayed endlessly and that they call diplomacy...

Russia and the Ukraine are in poor economic shape, due to the financial and global crisis, and Russia due to the fallen(now raising again) energy prices. The Russians have stopped more or less to pump gas into the pipeline that is planned for the EU, because it gets stolen by the Ukraineans. The Ukraine in return tries to call panic in Europe over the "Russian threat" - in order to enforce Ukrainean membership in NATO and the "European club" that way, after it had been shown the cold shoulder in the wake of the Georgian war. So, my sympathy for the Ukraine is very limited. Why they insist they have a right to pay less than half of the usual gobal world market prices for gas and not obeying their obligations to pay conventional penalties lead down in the old gas treaties with Russia, escapes me - they have no call for being delivered Russian gas if they do not wish to pay the Russian prices the EU also has to pay. Just stealing the gas then from the shareload intended for transportation to the EU, simply is this: criminal theft.

After Georgia having tried to almost blackmail, betray, lie and cheat in order to get Europe involved in the Caucasean war and embracing Georgia in NATO, I'm more than just a little bit pissed when realising that since longer time the Ukraine tries the same foul games, playing the innocent victim, but cheating, lying and betraying not less than Georgia did - just to force and manipulate the EU and NATO to give it membership as well, and instrumentalising the fear of Russia in order to kick in the door into the EU and get membership. The EU already has problems enough even without such foul candidates, its not that all EU businesses already are healthy and in order. Additional problems from wannabe-candidates like this, with all the conflict potential they bring (regarding Russia), are not needed, really. They cost us more troubles than we get benefits in return. 29 states in the EU definetly is many more than is healthy for the organisation. As the saying goes: the more cooks there are in kitchen, the more they spoil the brew.