Europe Kept Waiting for Gas

The process of resuming delivery of Russian natural gas to Europe has been filled with doubt and contradictions, raising questions about when European consumers will finally see a renewed flow of supplies.

Russian and Ukrainian acceptance of a European Union proposal to allow observers to monitor Ukraine’s pipeline system has been an on-again-off-again process. Gas officials in Kyiv and Moscow initially confirmed that EU and Russian observers would be allowed to check gas flows through Ukraine and the presidents of both countries also signaled their approval.

But the Interfax news agency quotes a source close to the Russian government as saying the Ukrainian side is once again casting doubt on the makeup of a multilateral monitoring group. Earlier, Russia’s Gazprom state energy monopoly issued a statement on its Web site claiming that Ukraine had disrupted the process of signing a protocol to authorize a multilateral monitoring commission.

Russian President Dmitri Medvedev insists the monitoring may not proceed without a written agreement.

Voice of America