Translated material
Fireplace diplomacy
Vladimir Putin met with the prime ministers of the countries most affected by the gas war between Russia and Ukraine
The government team led by Vladimir Putin is literally trying day and night to resolve the gas conflict with Ukraine, which has led to a stop in the transit of Russian gas through this country to Europe. Yesterday, since one o'clock in the morning, they were waiting for the arrival of heads of government in Novo-Ogarevo from states particularly affected by the gas blockade - Bulgaria, Slovakia and Moldova.The main character of the meeting, Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico, arrived at Putin’s residence somewhat late and straight from the plane. He visited Kyiv, where he tried to persuade Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko to open up gas supplies to his country in the amount of at least 20 million cubic meters per day from Ukrainian reserves. Ms. Tymoshenko flatly refused, despite promising to “put pressure on Russia” in return. And from the IMF loan, with which Mr. Fico offered to help Kyiv, too.
Therefore, the head of the Slovak government arrived to Mr. Putin without much passion, as, in fact, did the head of the Moldovan cabinet of ministers, Zinaida Greceanii. Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev seemed the most decisive. But Vladimir Putin immediately took the negotiations into his own hands. “We have restored the gas supply,” he said sternly. “Despite the statements of Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko that Ukraine does not interfere with transit, such obstacles nevertheless occur at the business and corporate level.” Here he shook a letter he had saved for the occasion, addressed by the Ukrainian side to Gazprom. “Please note that gas supply through the Sudzha GIS was carried out unilaterally by the Russian side without prior approval,” the prime minister quoted the letter as saying. “This means that the Ukrainian side recognizes that gas is being supplied, and this means that the Ukrainian side is preventing the passage of our gas through its territory in your direction.”
What irritated Vladimir Putin most of all was that for some reason everyone readily confuses Ukraine, a gas transit country, with Ukraine, a consumer. And she herself confuses these statuses, the Russian prime minister insisted. And this is unacceptable. “We hear from our Ukrainian colleagues and friends that they have problems with the transit of our natural gas to you,” he began and harshly added: “But these are not our problems, but the problems of the transit country. And they must solve these problems."
However, colleagues did not want to just give up and tried to appeal to Vladimir Putin. Zinaida Grechanyi complained like a woman to the men at the oval table. Her country has already reduced gas consumption by a third, and reduced supplies to industry by 50%. “The holidays have been extended for poor schoolchildren,” she complained. - I’ll tell you this, consumers simply don’t understand why they should freeze when there is a contract for gas supply. It’s impossible to explain.”
Slovak Prime Minister Fico also did not know how to explain to the supplier that his gas would never reach a country that paid Russia in full at world prices. “How much do you pay?” - Mr. Putin became interested. “$450 (per 1000 cubic meters - Ed. ),” replied the Prime Minister of Slovakia. “And Moldova pays the market price,” the Russian prime minister said thoughtfully. In the end, Mr. Fico still did not fail to inform Vladimir Putin that he had indicated in a conversation with Mrs. Tymoshenko that such actions by her country in relation to transit were inadmissible. “Ukraine is losing the trust of Europe,” noted the head of the Slovak government.
The most assertive was the Bulgarian prime minister, who did not too share Russia’s position that it was the transit country that should be responsible for the supply situation. Sergei Stanishev said that “the biggest risk for Ukraine and Russia may be the issue of trust in them,” and the dispute between Russia and Ukraine “should not turn third countries hostage.” Which made my Russian colleague a little angry.
“No one, no transit country has the right to abuse its transit position, to speculate on it in order to take consumers in Europe hostage,” the Russian prime minister said harshly. “You said that Ukraine is also providing some documents. I would like to know what kind of documents these are, if we received a paper from Kyiv signed by international observers stating that transit is not taking place, it is not ensured. What documents can our Ukrainian friends present, other than those confirmed by international observers? If you have such documents, then show them to us, please,” Mr. Putin suggested.
Here he gave vent to his long-restrained emotions: “And, finally, the most important thing is that no matter who provides what papers, I am ready to throw all these papers into the oven, another thing is important - we have opened the tap in your direction and are ready to supply, and with On the Ukrainian side, the tap is closed, and they are not transiting gas.”
There was no stove in the meeting room, but there was a rather massive fireplace in the center. Obviously, Vladimir Putin remembered him well. Therefore, he continued peacefully: “I am ready to think with you about what additional can be done to ensure the transit of our gas, including from European partners, from the European Commission.” “In my opinion,” he noted, “European Commission officials could have more influence on the transit country in order to ensure the interests of EU members.”