Kiev Softening Stance on Pipelines
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Andriy Kluyev has said that his country's new government is close to completing work on a bill that would let Gazprom and European Union companies join the country in operating its vast gas pipeline network.
The announcement could lead to a breakthrough in gas supply negotiations between Moscow and Kiev, which have been fraught with disputes in recent years, including two that disrupted supplies to Europe.
Pavel Baev, a professor at Norway's International Peace Research Institute, said that President Viktor Yanukovych is moving quickly to reach a deal because of the fleeting nature of coalitions in Ukraine's parliament, where supporters of the new president now enjoy a majority. He added: "Russia should be seeking opportunities with Ukraine with all its might...Were the deal to include Western partners and have reasonable terms, no Ukrainian president would back out of it."