BRUSSELS—Russia and Ukraine "are still far apart" on a deal to
ensure stable natural-gas deliveries to Ukraine and the European
Union over the winter, the EU's energy czar said Tuesday.
The statement from the EU's vice president for the energy union,
Maros Sefcovic, came after the energy ministers from both sides met
in Vienna, along with the chief executives of their gas companies,
Russia's OAO Gazprom and Ukraine's OAO Naftogaz.
The EU gets about one-third of its gas from Russia and about
half of that is transported through Ukraine. But the conflict in
eastern Ukraine and the broader standoff between Moscow and Kiev
has put these deliveries in doubt.
"As the meeting has shown today, the parties are still far
apart," Mr. Sefcovic said. "We have agreed that the [European]
Commission will put forward ideas to prepare next steps so that the
next consultation could take place."
Write to Gabriele Steinhauser at
gabriele.steinhauser@wsj.com
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