Ukraine warns of gas dangers for Europe

Ukraine’s foreign minister warned yesterday that his country’s dispute with Russia over the price of natural gas supplies revealed the vulnerability of all of Europe.

Russia froze natural gas deliveries to Ukraine for three days earlier this month before a compromise deal was worked out. The cut-off resulted in reductions farther west in Europe, which gets most of its Russian gas imports via Ukraine’s pipeline network.

Ukrainian foreign minister Borys Tarasyuk, who was in Sweden for a conference, said the dispute showed the importance of diversifying the continent’s energy sources.

“We should not allow ourselves to be dependent on one energy source,” he said.

Tarasyuk said that Ukraine, together with other countries, was already looking into alternative sources of gas supplies.

Speaking at a defence conference about his country’s path towards democracy, Tarasyuk also predicted that Ukraine would gain entry into the European Union by 2015.

He said his country was actively participating in the development of a common foreign and security policy for the EU.

Swedish foreign minister Laila Freivalds said in an opening address that the peaceful revolution that brought opposition leaders to power in Ukraine in 2004 showed that the Ukrainian people believe in freedom and democracy and served as an example for other countries in the region.

The two foreign ministers were to meet in Stockholm today, said Freivald’s spokesman, Anders Ericson.

Sweden’s prime minister, Goran Persson, is also expected to visit Ukraine next week.