“The Ukrainian Side is surprised with the statement of the President of the Russian Federation concerning the compensation of damages to the European countries, which apparently occurred due to the cessation by the Russian Side of deliveries of the Russian natural gas to the Ukrainian gas transportation system for its further transit through the territory of our country to the European consumers early in January 2009.

Such an emotional statement is not a partner and friendly gesture towards Ukraine and the European Union.

This statement and other ones made by the Head of the Russian State run counter to the letter and spirit of the existing 1997 Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.

The Ukrainian Side insists on the fact that it has no bilateral legal obligations to the European Union countries regarding their supplies with the Russian natural gas. The full responsibility for fulfilling the contractual obligations to the European customers as regards the volumes and schedules of the Russian natural gas deliveries rests with the Russian Side.

For its part, Ukraine duly met, meets and will meet its obligations on the Russian natural gas transit that are based on the legitimate agreements and contracts.

On the contrary, it was the Russian Side that unilaterally and without a prior notice stopped the gas supplies to Ukraine and to the European countries through the Ukrainian territory early in January 2009. There are incontestable proofs of that.

It was the Russian Side, not the Ukrainian one, that has unilaterally withdrawn from the Ukrainian-Russian treaties and agreements reached in 2008 at the level of Heads of State, Heads of Government and leadership of economic entities of Ukraine and Russia.

It was the Russian Side that at the stage of negotiations with Ukraine disregarded the elaborated drafts of bilateral documents, which were to resolve in time all the outstanding issues of gas transit to the European consumers.

Ukraine has not siphoned off the gas illegally. This fact was clearly certified by the mission of international observers who worked in the country and it was confirmed by the EU Commissioner Andris Piebalgs.

Ukraine fully complies and will comply with the rules of international law. It observes the principles applied in the European countries, including those relating to the cooperation in the gas sphere. We are firmly convinced that a similar position taken by the Russian partners will help to avoid a recurrence of the January 2009 situation in the future. 

The readiness “to monitor closely the fulfillment of the contract by the Ukrainian Side” that was declared today by the President of the Russian Federation can be regarded as an intention to interfere in the internal affairs of  the sovereign Ukrainian State. In this connection, it is worth mentioning of the existing international practice of a civilized settlement of disputes envisaged, as the rule, in respective documents on the conditions of cooperation, including the Contract signed between the NJSC “Naftogaz of Ukraine” and OAO “Gazprom” on the volumes and terms of the gas transit.”