Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoschenko (l.) and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin speak after the signing ceremony for a 10-year gas supply deal on Monday. (Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters)
Russian gas post-mortem: Was it Princess Leia vs. Darth Vader?
By James Hagengruber | Europe editor 01.19.09
Although Ukraine and Russia apparently reached a deal to end the natural-gas impasse Sunday, impatient leaders across Europe say they still haven’t been told precisely when the pipeline flows will be restored.
Previous agreements to end the two week-long shutoff have fallen apart. This might explain why every twist and turn of the latest iteration has been followed so closely, with news agencies issuing dispatches Monday to confirm that pens had actually touched contract paper.
The low physical pressure in the pipelines stands in contrast to the growing push for both Russia and Ukraine to put an end to the problem. Alexander Gudyma, gas adviser to Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, explained to the Russian business newspaper Vedomosti that the deal was reached by trying “not to humiliate Russia or offend Ukraine.”
Assuming gas begins to flow again, attention will return to the political fallout. Will Europe follow through on its promises to diversify its energy sources to avoid another hijacking of the thermostat? Italy, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Britain are now pushing forward with plans to restart old nuclear reactors or build new ones, according to a story in last week’s Monitor.
Italy’s minister for economic development, Claudio Scajola, said last week, “We must go back to nuclear power if we want to become less dependent on others’ moods.”
Mr. Scajola didn’t name names, but much of the blame for the crisis has been placed on the shoulders of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who is often described as both a past spymaster (from his time in the KGB), and a modern day puppetmaster, for his ability to hand-pick his successor, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. But what about Mr. Putin’s Ukrainian counterpart?
The apple-cheeked, braid-wearing Prime Minister Yulia Tymoschenko is often compared with Princess Leia, of Star Wars fame. Does this comparison go beyond looks? Would this allow comparisons between Putin and Darth Vader? Probably not in both cases.
According to a 2007 story from the Monitor’s Fred Weir, Ms. Tymoschenko’s actual nickname is “Gas Princess,” which she earned from her days making a fortune as an energy trader in the 1990s. Tymoschenko, according to the story, entered politics in the late 1990s and cast herself as a staunch liberal reformer, corruption fighter, and Ukrainian patriot.
“Tymoshenko constantly demands full and total power,” says Viktor Nebozhenko, director of Ukrainian Barometer, an independent Kiev think tank, and a former member of Tymoshenko’s campaign team. “She has a high level of personal charisma, but she also tends to be a demagogue. She can’t make compromises, she can’t manage a partnership. Her personality is too strong.”
Tymoschenko might be more tycoon than Star Wars heroine. Russia, meanwhile, could have a tough time shedding its image as the Evil Empire in this whole dispute, according to the Russian newspaper, Moskovsky Komsomolets, which states that Russia’s role in the dispute has been pre-ordained:
“No matter what turn the Russia-Ukraine gas conflict takes, the West will always act in accordance with its friend-foe system, where Russia will always be a foe. To the West, Ukraine is a country of the ‘victorious orange revolution,’ while Russia is ‘the cradle of Putin’s authoritarianism.’ Like almost all EU countries, Ukraine is an energy consumer, while Russia is a member of the rival “suppliers club.”
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2. Alec | 01.19.09
For anybody with brains who followed the conflict it is obvious that it was Ukraine who blackmailed both Russia and EU. Ukraine never paid the market price for the gas and stole huge quantities. It wants to continue this way. The cheap Russian gas was behind “ecomonic miracle” of the Ukranian economy. It is natuarl that Russia finally got fed up with subsidizing Ukranian economy. If EU acted based on common sense and not on ideological bias, the conflict would be resolved very quickly. EU should have just told Ukriane: stop stealing, pay your debt or risk loosing our support.
3. Joh Kumma | 01.19.09
It troubles me , the western media’s biased reporting and op-eds and the same old “Russia is the bad guy” theme regardless of the facts and truths . Take the conflict with Georgia , Russia was portrayed as the villain , bully and instigator when in fact with out question it was Georgia who began the conflict. As example it took Time magazine over a month before they began to correct themselves and admit that it was Georgia who began the conflict with Russia simply responding , protecting their people and their interests . Now once again Russia is the bad guy standing up for themselves and for their interests . Ukraine used to be part of the Soviet Union yet since the break up has received special treatment as such from Russia in regards to gas prices . Ukraine being prodded and encouraged by the US has done everything possible to antagonize Russia yet they still want the cut rate discounted gas prices they are accustomed to , why should they not be required to pay what everyone else pays ? Why should they receive special treatment ? The Ukraine government is both splintered and corrupt but you would never know it reading western media and listening to western pundits . When Russia said Ukraine is siphoning off ( stealing gas )meant for Europe I believe it . It was Ukraine causing the disruption of gas flow , Russia simply had to remedy the problem with Ukraine , Ukraine had not even paid for gas previously received , thought they had Russia over a barrel ( no pun intended ) and basically tried to black mail Russia . If the cold war starts up again it will because of the West , seems to me we have been doing a great job of starting one up again .
5. Ariel Hoyos | 01.20.09
This is an alert voice to intensify the diversification of energy sources in which the world progressively is being involved; up to now, it is clear that efforts displayed are not enough … a resources issue; in this sense, the kernel of the problem is the necessity of cooperation on the premise of a change in the monetary model - presently based on the maneuver capacity of the banking system - to a model founded in the summed power of the national economies. How this? Each nation must compromise itself to economically contribute to a new International Monetary Fund, and to a new World Bank, in function to the improvement of its economic indicators, in a permanent manner, then strengthening these institutions in order to make possible a swift intervention of them each time a crisis be produced; but, first of all, the debt in head of nations ought to be reduced, how? banks have to cancel the current interest remainder right now! this sacrifice will be amply rewarded through the enormous economic activity that will be unleashed, with its consequent credit demand, and increasing and secure profits for the banks.
6. Dmitry Ivanov | 01.20.09
Let’s consider some facts and make some obvious conclusions
1. Ukraine in advance has filled storehouses with gas (never so much), Russia has allowed to Ukraine to make it (Gazprom had the right not to deliver gas on credit).
An obvious conclusion - Not Russia was prepared to and planned the conflict.
2. Ukraine has interrupted negotiations and did not come back to negotiations. An obvious conclusion - Not Russia wants and does the conflict.
3.Gas storehouses are in the west of Ukraine. The industry is in the east of Ukraine. Ukraine has switched a gas pipeline in a mode of revers to supply with gas the east of country . I.e. on the Ukrainian site of a pipeline gas is pumped from the west on the east. To pump russian gas from Russia to Europe, it is necessary to pump in an opposite direction. Ukraine cannot pump simultaneously in both directions. Therefore it refuses to pump Russian gas to Europe. An obvious conclusion - Not Russia is guilty in shortage of Russian gas in Europe
All these facts are known to the West . But the West continues to speak about fault of Russia. An obvious conclusion - for West the facts are not interests.The West always will be on the party of opponents of Russia. Without looking at the facts. Why? I have one unpleasant idea: Russia remained the enemy for the West. It is very unpleasantly also it is insulting to understand it. Because for Russia the West was not the enemy. Sometimes (often enough) It was the opponent, the competitor, the contender - but not the enemy for us. I have opened eyes in August - when the West has unconditionally supported those who has begun the conflict by murder of russian peacemakers. Therefore I am not strongly surprised by reaction of the West to the gas conflict. I am am surprised with another - what for Will sink down Russia as the enemy? We are very good friends, but very bad enemies… In vain.Very much in vain… My bad English does not allow me to state all depth of disappointment in the West.
7. Tina | 01.20.09
“No matter what turn the Russia-Ukraine gas conflict takes…”
Haha, the short resume is: “we don’t know what’s happening on but it’s definitely Russia’s guilt”
It’s fun to compare with Stars War.. If so, then U.S.’s stuck in Matrix?
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1. Dave | 01.19.09
Not Vadar, but Grand Moff Tarkin.