Ukraine signs gas deal to resume Russian supplies

Ukraine removed conditions on Monday that threatened a gas deal to resume Russian supplies, opening the way for the rival former Soviet states to resolve a row that has plunged much of Europe into an energy crisis. The removal of the additions, which Moscow described as a "mockery of common sense," offered a second chance to secure agreement to deploy monitors to check gas flows across Ukraine to Europe and restore supplies. Flows to Europe have been cut off for nearly a week in freezing temperatures after Russia accused Ukraine of siphoning off gas to make up for losses it has suffered since Moscow turned off the tap on January 1 in a dispute over gas prices. The EU's Czech presidency and Russia's Gazprom said Kiev had signed the deal, without the conditions. "There is no further reason why Russia should not renew gas supplies," Czech Industry Minister Martin Riman told Reuters. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's spokesman said Moscow could also sign the deal again on Monday. Supplies would then restart once the monitors were deployed. "We keep our fingers crossed that this is not another game and we really have a proper document," Dmitry Peskov said, adding that Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin and Gazprom's chief Alexei Miller were heading for Brussels for further talks. POWER-PLAY The gas row is yet another power-play between the neighbors, whose relations have been strained since Ukraine elected pro-Western leaders after the "Orange revolution" in 2004 and tried to shrug off Russia's influence. The European Union, which backed Ukraine in an earlier dispute in 2006, has tried to steer a neutral course between the two, and helped broker the deal over the weekend to allow monitors on Ukrainian territory. That foundered when Ukraine added conditions to the deal. Some diplomats have criticized both countries for holding the European Union, which gets a fifth of all its gas supplies from pipelines that run from Russia across Ukraine, to ransom. "It is unbearable that Russia and Ukraine carry out their conflict in the middle of a grim cold winter on Europe's back," German economics secretary, Peter Hintze, said in Brussels. "The supply agreements have to be fulfilled, the gas must flow again and the conflict has to be resolved. We need a mechanism so we can act faster in future crises." Russia and Ukraine traded blame for the weekend's false-start. Moscow has accused the Kiev authorities of being corrupt and inept. Ukraine said on Monday Russia was delaying the settlement because it had insufficient gas supplies. "The Russian Federation and Gazprom do not have sufficient gas for transport to European consumers and, as a result of this, they are dragging out the settlement of the gas problem with Ukraine," said Bohdan Sokolovski, energy envoy for Ukraine's president. Gazprom said the deal secured at the weekend would have to be signed again and only then will it turn on the taps. Gazprom and Ukraine have said it will take at least 36 hours before gas reaches EU borders after flows resume, which means most countries will not get Russian gas before Wednesday. Eastern Europe has been badly hit by the gas shutdown, with several countries forced to look to alternative means of power or to use reserves. Slovakia was on the brink of a power blackout after a fire forced the partial shutdown of a coal power plant, news agency SITA quoted Economy Minister Lubomir Jahnatek as saying. Bratislava declared a state of emergency last week after Russian gas stopped arriving, and the government has said it must put an old nuclear power plant into operation to maintain the stability of the entire electricity grid.