THE EUROPEAN Union gave a stern pep talk to Ukraine yesterday, urging it to speed up reforms, ensure a free and fair presidential election next month and prevent any repeat of last year’s mid-winter gas crisis.
Many European capitals are losing patience with Ukraine’s leaders, who have failed to deliver on the promises of the 2004 Orange Revolution and have presided over stalled reforms, political paralysis and uncertainty over the transit of Russian energy to EU states.
Moscow cut gas supplies to Ukraine last January over unpaid bills, and then halted fuel flows via Ukraine to the EU when Kiev allegedly siphoned off gas for export and used it for domestic demand.
The crisis left millions of central and east Europeans without heat and light in freezing conditions, and forced thousands of firms to stop or scale back production.
“Ukraine will manage to secure the functions of Russian gas transit,” president Viktor Yushchenko insisted after meeting Swedish prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, whose country holds the EU presidency, and European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso.
“Ukraine’s mission is the guaranteed, unhindered supply of Russian gas to Europe. We will never initiate a process which would complicate the supply of gas, including that in 2009-2010, to the European Union – I ask you to accept this as a guarantee,” he added.
Prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who led the Orange Revolution with Mr Yushchenko, but has since become one of his fiercest rivals, reiterated his assurance.
She will compete with Mr Yushchenko in January’s presidential election, which polls predict will be won by Ms Tymoshenko or former premier Viktor Yanukovich, who favours stronger ties with Russia and is less enthusiastic about EU and Nato membership.
