The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine considers groundless the statements of the Russian side that it grants the Ukrainian economics due to the supplies of the cheap natural gas.
According to an UNIAN correspondent, MFA spokesman Vassyl Fylypchuk claimed this to a news conference today.
“Any such statement that we see from time to time from Gazprom are groundless”, he stressed.
V.Fylypchuk expressed a hope that the sides will treat the issue of the Russian gas supplies “on the basis of a common sense, and not on the basis of an informational campaign, threatening, preparing grounds for new gas attacks”.
V.Fylypchuk noted that during the last years Ukraine was not buying the natural gas from Russia, but received it as a payment for the gas transit to European and CIS countries. Basing on this barter scheme, the gas price was established depending on the tariff on its transporting. During 1993-2005, on average, 127 billion cubic meters of natural gas were annually transported through the Ukrainian territory at $1.1886 for 1 thousand cubic meters at every 100 km, instead of the European rate at $2.7. As a result of it, Ukraine lost almost 26 billion dollars. The similar scheme of payments caused losses to Ukrainian companies for pumping, storing, and taking the gas from Ukrainian underground depots – Ukraine took $4.95 for 1 thousand cubic meters, compared to $24 for 1 thousand cubic meters in Europe. Thus, Ukraine lost almost 1.39 billion dollars.
According to V.Fylypchuk, the “virtual” losses of Russia during this period from the alleged low gas prices for Ukrainian consumers made 5.6 billion dollars.
V.Fylypchuk noted that, in such a way, the losses of Ukraine from the cheap transit exceed by 5 times the losses of Russia from the gas supplies to Ukrainian consumers, and make up 21 billion dollars during 1993-2005.
