But there is the potential for a new crisis

"There is not yet of the gas crisis." But there is the potential for a new crisis.... "Dimitri Peskova, spokesman for Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Poutine, did not hesitate at a recent briefing to use strong words. Against the Ukraine, which accumulates the delays in payment for purchases of Russian gas. But also... against the European Union (EU). To the financial deadlock and to assist the Government of Kiev to pay its bills, the highest Russian authorities have one after the other openly asked the Europeans to hand the coin door.

"The problem around the transit is exceptionally serious and concerns not only the Russia and the Ukraine", and warned Wednesday, Vladimir Poutine. Reference to the invoice that Kiev must resolve before Sunday for gas for Ukrainian internal consumption but for reserves for the transits also in autumn and winter. The head of the Russian Government has called the EU to grant a credit in Kyiv with Moscow: "We are counting on the fact that our concerns are heard and that they will be studied in the most serious manner at the 18-19 June European Council," said Vladimir Poutine. President Dmitry Medvedev had even declared, at the recent Summit between the EU and the Russia on 21 and 22 may, have "doubts" about the capabilities of the Ukraine to pay its gas purchases: "in this situation, the partners help their partners, and we are ready to help the Ukrainian State but we would like that the EU provides a significant part of this work."warned the head of the Kremlin.

The EU is not willing to pay

"But, since do not see us the part of the European Union of signals showing that it is ready to intervene, while it has the financial means", Dimitri Peskova regretted. Vladimir Putin and José Manuel Barroso, the President of the European Commission, but had a long telephone conversation on the topic Friday. After that, José Manuel Barroso has promised to include this issue in the agenda of the European Council of June 18-19. The European Commission said yesterday, sending a team of senior officials in Moscow and Kiev to "establish all the facts" on this new crisis for the European Summit. This mission will make the point on the situation in a report that will be presented to the heads of State and European Governments at the Council, said the President of the Commission, José Manuel Barroso, in a letter sent to the Czech presidency of the Union. But as the Summit with the Russia, it was clear: the EU is not willing to pay for Kiev, holding "difficult, indeed impossible" given the current state of the EU budget to new European funds to the Ukraine. "Why should pay us twice" "For the Russian gas and, via these loans in Kiev unlikely to be reimbursed for its transit by the Ukraine," wondered wryly a European diplomat in Moscow.

The case took a more political dimension that, recent months, Moscow has seen askance recent initiatives of the EU. Moscow first described as "unfriendly" the promise of Brussels to help the Ukraine to modernise its gas infrastructure. Then the Kremlin has openly criticized the Eastern partnership launched by the Union, with six former Soviet republics to reduce European energy dependence on Moscow.