Russia has cut the flow of natural gas into neighboring Ukraine, for the third year in a row, over a pricing dispute. The action has far reaching consequences given that 20% of the natural gas used to heat Europe during wintertime is passed through the very same pipelines where supplies have been reduced by the Russian state owned energy company Gazprom, on the orders of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

Since the brutal election of pro-Western Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko in late 2004, early 2005 - an episode tinged with the unsuccessful poisoning of Yushchenko, allegedly by Russian clandestine services - relations between the two countries have been icy at best. However the two nations need one another. Ukraine is dependent on Russia for the natural gas it desperately needs for heating during winter. While Russia uses pipelines which run through Ukraine in order to transport natural gas not only to its neighbor, but to the rest of Europe to the West. But that still hasn’t stopped the bickering.

Each year Gazprom raises the rates for natural gas to the Ukraine and each year Ukraine refuses to pay the entire new amount. The haggling then culminates, as is currently playing out, in Russia decreasing the amount of gas sent through the pipeline. Ukraine then responds by using its geographic position “upstream” from the rest of Europe along the pipeline, by taking out what it needs. This results in some serious complaints from Russia’s clients in Western Europe who end up getting shorted on their gas needs for heating. For the past few years, after a brief international outcry, a price is then agreed upon, somewhere in the middle, then the gas is returned to normal capacity.

This silly dance which plays with the heating needs and quality of life of numerous countries while the haggling unfolds is yet another reason to get off of fossil fuels. You can takepart in doing so by checking out the Solar Energy Industries Association.

LINKS:

Voice of America News: Ukraine: Gas talks with Russia to resume Thursday

Time: Russia and Ukraine’s annual gas spat

International Business Times: Gaza and Russian conflicts elevate crude prices