No relief for Europe in Russian gas crisis

Russia started pumping gas meant for Europe via Ukraine yesterday for the first time in nearly a week, but the EU said little or no gas was flowing to countries suffering urgent energy shortages.

Russia accused Ukraine of blocking off gas to Europe, but Kiev blamed lack of pressure in the pipeline system and said it could not ship the gas without cutting off several of its own regions.

The crisis has disrupted supplies to some 18 countries - some of them totally dependent on Russian gas - at the height of winter, shutting down dozens of factories in southeast Europe and leaving hundreds of thousands of people without heating.

A deal brokered by the EU, which gets a quarter of its gas from Russia, had been meant to get supplies moving yesterday, with international monitors in place to ensure that Ukraine was not siphoning off any gas, as Moscow has alleged.

Gazprom said it was declaring force majeure on gas exports to Europe, invoking a contractual clause that releases a supplier from its obligations due to circumstances beyond its control.

Ukraine told the EU it was encountering "technical difficulties" because the pressure of gas arriving from Russia was too low.