On Tuesday, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry accused Russia of carrying out a "gas information war." It also said Russia had planned to destabilize the internal situation in Ukraine and disrupt its gas transportation system.
"The reaction of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, in connection with the situation in Russian-Ukrainian relations in the gas sphere, is not very healthy...The statement by the ministry demonstrates that, alas, it is not prepared for constructive cooperation," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"[The statement] clearly shows discontent with the decisions on gas," it said.
Russian energy giant Gazprom and Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz signed on Monday a long-awaited contract on Russian gas supplies to Ukraine for 2009-2019. Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said Ukraine would pay $360 for 1,000 cu m of Russian gas in the first quarter of 2009.
Russia suspended supplies to Ukraine on January 1 after the former Soviet neighbors failed to reach an agreement on a new gas contract for 2009. A week later, Gazprom cut off gas deliveries to the European Union, saying Ukraine was stealing gas intended for EU consumers.
Around 20 European countries were affected by the dispute, with the EU calling the disruption to supplies "completely unacceptable."
