"Naftogaz" decided to gut "Gazprom"

"Naftogaz" decided to recover another $ 20 billion from Gazprom.
06.03.2018
RBC
Origin source
According to the commercial director of Naftogaz Ukrainy Yuri Vitrenko, the tariff for the transit of Russian gas through Ukrainian territory is understated by half. The company is ready to claim damages in the Stockholm arbitration.

"Naftogaz of Ukraine" considers the tariff for the transit of Russian gas on the Ukrainian territory understated by half. This commercial director of the company Yuri Vitrenko said in the program "Freedom of Speech" on the ICTV channel.

"The cost of transit [gas] through the territory of Ukraine is understated approximately two-fold. We will try to prove it, "Vitrenko said. According to him, due to the low tar IF, Naftogaz has lost about $ 20 billion for the period from 2009 to 2017. "But it still needs to be proved, this is our point of view," the company representative added.

According to the contract of Naftogaz and Gazprom from 2009, the tariff for transportation of gas in the Ukrainian territory is floating and is determined by a formula that depends on the cost of the fuel component and inflation in Europe.

Previously, Vitrenko said that Naftogaz plans to send a new letter to Gazprom proposing to revise the tariff for gas transit. He noted that the company in 2009 already appealed to Russia with such an initiative, however, within the framework of the dispute in the Stockholm Arbitration, Ukraine did not achieve its requirements. "The Tribunal <...> said: look, the letter that you sent in 2009, which, as you say, was a requirement to revise the tariff, does not meet formal requirements, so we can not review the tariff," Vitrenko said. At the same time he noted that if Gazprom does not agree to reconsider the tariff, the Ukrainian company will again apply to the Stockholm arbitration.

On March 5, Gazprom officially informed Naftogaz that it was launching a procedure for the termination of contracts. The Russian company explained that the reason was "a significant violation of the commercial balance between these contracts." Such a decision followed the Stockholm Arbitration Order. On February 28, the court ordered Gazprom to pay Naftogaz $ 4.63 billion for gas shortage under a transit agreement. The arbitrators explained that, taking into account the already completed deliveries, Naftogaz had to pay $ 2 billion; Thus, the Russian company is obliged to pay Ukraine about $ 2.56 billion.

Ukraine because of the termination of contracts was forced to buy gas from European suppliers at a price exceeding Gazprom's four times. After that, Vitrenko promised to demand compensation from the Russian company due to overpayment.

In Kiev, the actions of the Russian side are considered "tools of gas blackmail" directed against Ukraine and the EU countries. In turn, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that the Ukrainian authorities will never tell citizens that Europe "considers Russia a reliable energy partner."