Stockholm symptom

The intermediate decision of the Stockholm arbitration, which exempted Ukraine from payments under several bonded articles of the gas contract, agreed by Vladimir Putin and Yulia Tymoshenko, is not just the victory of one side over the other, one state over the other. This is the beginning of civilized communication, recognizing the primacy of international law - unless, of course, Russia, who repeatedly violated it, will want to recognize it.

After all, how were the energy relations of Russia and Ukraine built? Barter, diagrams, "between the lands", culuar transactions, muddy intermediaries. The agreements were signed on December 31 - the parties blackmailed each other to the last. And always on this mutual pollination, it was not consumers, but by scammers. I remember one of these interchanges in the crisis - December 31, the New Year, it is unclear what will happen to the gas - and the employees of Gazprom and Naftogaz are trying to agree in the Ukraine hotel in Moscow. Why there? But because she seems to belong to Semee Mogilevich. And what does Sema have to do with it? And he is a former partner of Dmitry Firtash ... Well, then it is clear.

And so it was always, twenty years in a row. The contract, which is presented in the Stockholm arbitration and Gazprom and Naftogaz, is the first document that at least someone can be shown. And even this document in Moscow managed to turn into a weapon of political pressure, exchanging the next gas discount from the clumsy Yanukovych to extend the base of the Black Sea Fleet.

At the same time, in Ukraine, the purchase of Russian gas has turned into a kind of religion - Russia cannot be angry, or it will increase gas prices. You can’t complain about Russia, because it will turn off the gas and we will freeze. You can only agree with Russia, preferably on its conditions, otherwise it will increase prices and turn off the gas. In 2014, the first after the Maidan, the Arseniy Yatsenyuk government showed not even courage, but simply common sense, refusing to purchase Russian gas and deciding to file a lawsuit in Stockholm arbitration. Many European countries have already passed along this path - but so far they have achieved concessions from Gazprom in court, Yanukovych habitually traded sovereignty.

Now it is clear that Russia can be won, Russia can be lost, but it is not necessary to be afraid. In this court - where neither Putin nor Miller can call - they will consider business, not wishes. Russian gas - regardless of whether Ukraine will buy it or not - finally becomes a product, not a thieves' Fomka, with which the robber tries to climb into a strange house.