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Ukraine, Russia extend talks as gas deal stalls

Each side hopes for a deal before winter temperatures fall.

By Ed Adamczyk
Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak. CC/wikimedia.org/Russian Government
Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak. CC/wikimedia.org/Russian Government

BRUSSELS, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Ukrainian and Russian representatives failed to reach an agreement to restart deliveries of Russian gas to Ukraine and will negotiate again Thursday, they said.

Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuri Prodan is meeting in Brussels with his Russian counterpart, Alexander Novak. The deal, to arrange gas shipments before winter and after Ukrainian voters last week elected pro-European parties to government power, is brokered by European Union Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger.

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Russia stopped its gas deliveries in June after claims a $5 billion bill for prior shipments was past due. It came amid fighting between the Ukrainian military and pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. Moscow is demanding pre-payment for future gas deliveries; Kiev says it is working to arrange the financing.

The EU seeks to avert a repeat of disputes that prompted Russian gas exporter Gazprom to cut supplies in 2006 and 2009, leading to winter shortages across Europe.

"A crisis is possible at any moment. Ukrainian elections have passed, which removes excessive rigidity from talks, but Ukraine is still lacking money for future gas," said Alexey Grivach, deputy head of Moscow's National energy Security Fund consulting group.

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