EU Pledge To Ukraine "Unfriendly"
The Foreign Ministry said Thursday that it saw a pledge by the European Union to help modernize Ukraine's gas infrastructure as "an unfriendly act" against Moscow, following a similar warning by Gazprom.
Brussels signed a synergism agreement with Ukraine on modernizing the system this week, but Russia was angry that it was excluded from the talks.
"What happened in Brussels ... at the forum was an unfriendly act in relation to Russia by both the European Union and Ukraine," foreign ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko told a news colloquium.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has threatened to review ties with the EU if Moscow's interests are ignored.
Gazprom said late Wednesday that any changes to Ukraine's pipelines would need the company's approval or risk disrupting gas output and output across Eurasia.
"Unapproved change ... will at once affect not only export supplies but also the producing process of Russian and Central Asian gas and may entail unpredictable consequences for the whole Eurasian territory," Oleg Aksyutin, head of Gazprom's transportation division, said in a statement.
Neither Putin nor any other Russian officials have said what exactly they dislike about the plan, but analysts say it could diminish Russia's significance as an energy supplier and potentially damage Gazprom's profits.
Brussels signed a synergism agreement with Ukraine on modernizing the system this week, but Russia was angry that it was excluded from the talks.
"What happened in Brussels ... at the forum was an unfriendly act in relation to Russia by both the European Union and Ukraine," foreign ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko told a news colloquium.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has threatened to review ties with the EU if Moscow's interests are ignored.
Gazprom said late Wednesday that any changes to Ukraine's pipelines would need the company's approval or risk disrupting gas output and output across Eurasia.
"Unapproved change ... will at once affect not only export supplies but also the producing process of Russian and Central Asian gas and may entail unpredictable consequences for the whole Eurasian territory," Oleg Aksyutin, head of Gazprom's transportation division, said in a statement.
Neither Putin nor any other Russian officials have said what exactly they dislike about the plan, but analysts say it could diminish Russia's significance as an energy supplier and potentially damage Gazprom's profits.
