Answer: whenever you need it to be like a bicycle:
Talks to resolve a gas supply row between Ukraine and Russia have failed, the chief executive of Russian gas giant Gazprom has said. Alexei Miller said gas supplies to Ukraine would be cut on Thursday but that Russia would do its best to guarantee supplies to Europe. Russian PM Vladimir Putin earlier claimed that Ukraine would block supplies to Europe if no deal was done. Ukraine denies owing money to Gazprom, and says it has guaranteed gas transit.
One of Russia's most indebted companies need to figure out how to get gas past Ukraine while paying off 2007 debts with 2009 revenues. Germany stockpiles. My heavens: Alberta looks so much nicer to deal with when you look at it this way.
Comments
Alan - January 1, 2009 12:02 PM
Oversight attended to and comments back on.
Seanie - January 1, 2009 2:18 PM
Looks to me like a deal with Latvia and Lithuania would be profitable to the quaint little nations.
TRex - January 1, 2009 4:24 PM
For sure a pipeline (much quicker to build) or LNG/OET Terminal in the Baltic’s would be a nightmare of epic proportions to construct. Latvia’s government is about as sharp as two hammers and way out of their league. Having spent three years on SAK II and witnessing Gazprom and the Kremlin firsthand I can only imagine how difficult any undertaking of such magnitude would be here.
Latvia can’t even manage to fill the position of anti-corruption minister and the government is made up of a bunch of careerist amateurs, notwithstanding the NATO angle and EU membership I doubt that Russia has much appetite for a land route in the Baltic’s.