The situation is actually critical in some European countries

If good soap operas to recognize their ability to keep the audience excited with multiple twists, the gas war between the Ukraine and the Russia is certainly a.

After a first arm of railway started at the end of 2008 which ended last week by a compromise intended to allow the resumption of deliveries of Russian gas to the Ukraine, Moscow finally ordered not to return to these shipments, believing that Kyiv did not comply with the agreement. Yesterday, the two countries is, again, mutually accused of responsibility for the current deadlock. While the European Union, in the role of the Viewer, threatened the two protagonists of legal actions.

The merits of the dispute still also inextricable rest for any observer outside. Kiev has reaffirmed yesterday, not be able to deliver to its European partners Russian gas, the entry point of the network requiring him to deprive gas 4 Ukrainian regions. With Des quibbles technical swept a hand setback yesterday, by Vladimir Putin, Russian Prime Minister. "If, on a political level, President (Ukrainian Viktor) Yushchenko claims that he has not blocked the transit to Europe, in practice it is clear that this is the case", he said. Before adding: "our Ukrainian friends have a problem to ensure the transit of gas, but it is not our problem." Categorical, he accused Kiev of "take hostage to other countries."

The situation is actually critical in some European countries. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, where gas is usually derived from Russia, German relief deliveries have been implemented. The Slovakia, on the other hand, will receive 2 million cubic metres more gas emergency on the part of E.ON Ruhrgas and GDF Suez.

State of energy emergency

The Slovak and Bulgarian Prime Ministers were yesterday, in Moscow, to meet with Vladimir Putin. The first is provided exclusively Russian gas and has only 10 days of reserves, forcing him to declare "State of energy emergency" while the second is required to idle 220 plants in his country because it relies on Russian gas for 92 of its supplies.

Brussels, for its part, supports less and less well to the collateral victim of the Russian-Ukrainian political iron arm. Hence the threat, yesterday, the President of the European Commission, José - Manuel Barroso: "If the agreement with the European Union is not honored on an urgent basis, the European Commission will advise European companies to bring the case to justice and called on Member States to take concerted action to find alternative ways of energy supply and transit." As to ease tensions, Russian President Dimitri Medvedev suggested last night, a Summit of countries consumer of Russian gas as well as those by which it passes, Saturday in Moscow. An initiative countered a few hours later by a proposal from the Ukraine and the Poland meet in Prague "all the parties to the conflict to find a solution to the crisis."

In any event, there is no doubt that this folder will appear in the menu of discussions of the meeting, tomorrow in Dresden, between Vladimir Putin and Angela Merkel.