Bohdan Sokolovskyi
October 12, 2015, Ukraine resumed (with a slight discount on the price) imports of Russian natural gas coming from the formula of 2009.
Of course, the price formula in 2009, and the current small discount, like all discounts, starting with the first quarter of 2009, the Kremlin has been offering Ukraine not because of its great love for our country, but based on its own interests. In particular, and it is not clear why the formula for calculating the price is so imperfect and does not take into account such an important parameter as significant volumes of gas sales in the Ukrainian market?
Of course, it is counterproductive to compare the price for us with the price for other countries, in particular those to whom Russia sells its gas at low prices. After all, the price is the issue of trade secrets, political negotiations and certain agreements etc.
Besides it is not clear why the price of gas for us in the contract is not related to the transit of Russian gas through Ukrainian territory, and so on?
The only pleasant thing is the fact that the agreements have been reached against the background of the military truce in the Ukrainian Donbas. This certainly overshadows everything else.
So we stick to the principle — we are trading, not fighting. God grant this to be always so. Let people are not killed. Although, for example, based on over 350 years of Ukraine’s experience in dealing with Moscow, this is perceived quite ambiguously.
On the other, we should admit that in matters of gas Russia has achieved exactly what it wanted.
The Ukrainian side does not offer any alternative. In particular, we have not implemented the so-called “great reversal”, which, according to specialists in the gas industry in 2008-2009 could provide the import of gas from the West up to 30 billion cubic meters a year (since then nothing has radically changed); we have not started to build a terminal to import liquefied natural gas (Lithuania, for example, talked little about this, but has done it), and so on.
As expected back in July-August of this year, someone profiteers from failure to solve the situation before the start of the heating season and “pushing” Ukraine into Moscow’s gas embrace. Like, without Moscow we can’t do. Although there are several options to get rid of Russian gas dependence.
The Kremlin (including through its “fifth column” in Ukraine) continues to use its tactics: “… if you cannot bribe a Ukrainian patriot or patriotic forces, it is necessary to neutralize or discredit them and this way to prepare a new base for the implementation of our policy”.
