Ukrainian Minister of Energy and the Coal Industry Vladimir Demchishin has suggested the EU should partly pay the costs for filling underground gas storage facilities in his country to cut the risk of possible interruptions in transit to Europe. Ukraine has to accumulate about 20 billion cubic meters of gas in storage to ensure stable supplies to Europe during the winter. Ukraine pays 15 percent more for Russian gas than for the fuel from Slovakia and other EU countries, said Demchishin. The ‘winter package’ sealed last October fixed the price at $378 per 1,000 cubic meters. However, a drop in the cost of oil led to lower prices, with gas now supplied to Ukraine at $329. Read more at http://www.globalresearch.ca
