At 8:00 p.m. Moscow time [17:00 GMT] on Tuesday, Russian gas monopoly Gazprom reduced for the second time in as many days natural gas supplies to the former Soviet republic, bringing deliveries to half their normal level over Kiev's failure to pay off its $600 million gas debt.
"The developments over gas supplies to Ukraine make me draw your attention again to the insufficient and inappropriate government action to implement the agreement reached between the Ukrainian and Russian presidents in Moscow on February 12," a presidential spokesman quoted Yushchenko as saying in a letter to Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.
Under a deal reached between Yushchenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on February 12, Gazprom and Naftogaz are to switch to direct cooperation without intermediaries, which Ukraine blames for allowing its debt to accumulate, and to set up two joint ventures. However no specific documents have yet been signed.
"To resume negotiations would be the only way out," Yushchenko said, urging that appropriate instructions be given to the country's national oil and gas company, Naftogaz, as soon as possible.
Yushchenko's statements came a day after Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov had urged Ukraine to resume talks. "We urge Ukraine to resume talks immediately," he told a news conference. "If Ukraine fails to return to the negotiating table, I cannot rule out that a decision will be made to further reduce gas supplies."
Though no shortfall in Russian gas supplies has so far been reported by any of the EU member states, Slovenian Economics Minister Andrej Vizjak, whose country holds the EU presidency, and EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs called in a joint statement on Tuesday for "a determined effort to resolve the current disagreement between Gazprom and Naftogaz."
Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov tried to calm European gas users on Tuesday, reassuring them that Russian gas shipments would continue.
"Export deliveries via Ukrainian territory are being carried out in full volume," he said.
