Russia promises gas, but hitches remain

KIEV, Ukraine - Russia's state gas monopoly has promised to resume shipping Europe-bound gas through Ukraine this morning, nearly a week after it shut off the taps and forced countless Europeans to huddle cold and resentful in freezing homes.

However, a spokesman for the Gazprom monopoly indicated that lingering problems could still prolong the crisis.

More than 15 countries have been the inadvertent victims of a complex and acrimonious wrangle between Russia and Ukraine over gas prices, past debts, and allegations of theft.

They also jockeyed over an EU-brokered deal to send pipeline monitors to ensure that restored gas shipments reach their destination.

Russia balked at the deal after Ukraine tried to add a rider declaration that offended Moscow. Ukrainian officials clarified the deal yesterday and said the declaration was not legally binding.

After that, the deputy chairman of the Gazprom monopoly, Alexander Medvedev, said gas supplies would be started this morning "if there are no obstacles." That could be a significant caveat given the recent sparring between Moscow and Kiev.

Russia shut off all gas to Ukrainian pipelines last Wednesday, accusing Ukraine of siphoning off gas intended for downstream countries. About 20 percent of all the gas consumed in Europe comes from Russia through pipelines that cross Ukraine.

Ukraine has denied the siphoning charge, but Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said Ukraine would have to use some gasoline from Russia as so-called technical gas to power compressors that push Europe-bound gas through the pipelines.

That position potentially "creates a crisis situation with the transit of Russian gas to European users," Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said in a statement yesterday. If Ukraine "cannot guarantee the technical gas by itself from its own resources, it should obtain it and not divert it illegally."

Even if no new impediments arise, consumers could have to wait at least a day for the gas to complete its long journey.

Under the monitor agreement, teams of EU, Russian and Ukrainian observers are to track the movement of Russian gas through Ukraine's vast pipeline system.

Bosnia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Serbia and Slovakia have been among the countries worst hit by the gas cutoff. Sales of electric heaters have soared, and thousands of businesses have been forced to cut production or even shut down.

Russia still will not send natural gas to Ukraine for domestic consumption. The neighbors remain deadlocked over the price Ukraine should pay for gas in 2009 and how much Russia should pay to transport gas through Ukraine. Russia stopped supplying gas to Ukraine on Jan. 1 over the price dispute.