Oil and Gas Journal quotes Eurasia Center Deputy Director David Koranyi on the interim gas supply agreement between Russia and Ukraine:
The agreement is important, but it’s only a temporary solution, Washington observers said on Oct. 31. “I’m reasonably confident it will last because there’s a convergence of interests on all sides,” said David Koranyi, deputy director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. “There were several concerns on the Russian side, including whether another gas crisis this winter would have imperiled Gazprom’s reputation as a reliable supplier not only to Europe, but also to Asia.”
Tim Boersma, a fellow in the Energy Security Initiative at the Brookings Institution’s Foreign Policy Program, noted, “I think it’s good for all sides involved. There’s more to this, however: Assuming the deal holds through March, the underlying problems will still need to be addressed. It’s a good, temporary solution, but it will not solve all the problems.”
Ukraine’s government obviously is pleased to have a deal in place, Koranyi observed. “There have been some major improvements in Europe, particularly in terms of interconnectivity, since the last major deal in 2009, but it still will need to rely on Russia for a major part of its gas,” he told OGJ.
“The main concern in Europe now was to enter in an open-ended agreement,” Koranyi said. “Ukraine also wanted to wait until after its elections so this deal would not interfere in domestic politics. All the cards were on the table 2 weeks ago.”