Gazprom: Ukraine blocking intermediary’s gas

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Ukraine is blocking gas trade intermediary RosUkrEnergo from exporting to several European Union countries and Russia’s Gazprom cannot make up the shortfall, Gazprom’s deputy CEO said on Saturday.

“Ukraine is … not allowing RUE (RosUkrEnergo) to take gas from underground storage and export it,” Alexander Medvedev told Reuters in a telephone interview.

“We can compensate volumes taken from the transit pipelines but we cannot compensate the volumes of RosUkrEnergo. These are not our contracts.” Medvedev said. “This is why Poland, Hungary and Romania are suffering.”

He also urged the European Union to intervene to persuade Ukraine to return in good faith to the negotiating table, and said the row with Kiev would have an impact on spot oil and gas prices.

RosUkrEnergo is a 50/50 joint venture between Gazprom and two Ukrainian businessmen.