Ukraine is proving to be a less-than-trustworthy ally for the European nations:
Ukraine’s operator OGTSU announced it would halt further deliveries starting May 11, due to the presence of “Russian occupiers.”
Gas Transit Services of Ukraine (OGTSU) declared force majeure on Tuesday, saying that it was impossible to continue the transit of gas through a connection point and compressor station located in the Lugansk area. As OGTSU personnel “cannot carry out operational and technological control” over the Sokhranovka connector point and Novopskov compressor station, the company cannot continue to fulfill its contract obligations, it said.
Gas from this connection will not be accepted into the transit system of Ukraine starting at 7 am on Wednesday, OGTSU said. Sokhrankovka accounts for almost a third of the Russian gas that transits through Ukraine to Europe – up to 32.6 million cubic meters per day – according to the operators.
This would appear to indicate either a) an increasing level of desperation on the part of the Ukrainians, or b) the determination of the neocons to trigger a hot war between Russia and the USA. Cutting off the supply of gas to Europe is supposed to one of Russia’s trump cards, so Ukraine preemptively playing it – if only in part – is surprising.
Sure, it’s only a third of the supply so far. But if the desired results aren’t achieved, it’s obvious that the percentage will rise.