Updated at 17:53,27-03-2024

Will Belarus benefit from “a gas war“ between Russia and Ukraine?

UDF.BY

Traditional for this season "a gas war" between Russia and Ukraine will benefit ... Belarus. Such a conclusion can be drawn based on the intention of "Gazprom" to reduce to a bare minimum the pumping of "blue fuel" through the Ukrainian gas transportation system.

As the head of "Gazprom" Alexei Miller reported to President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday, in the unprecedented period of cold weather, when even Danube and the canals of Venice were frozen, "Gazprom" has made every effort to meet the increased requests of European customers. However, the significant volumes of gas, transiting through Ukraine, didn't reach Europe.

"On some days in Ukraine up to 40 million cubic meters of gas were left. Without a doubt, this has caused both the financial and reputational damage to "Gazprom". Meanwhile, in this situation there is no effective mechanism to monitor the behavior of the company "Naftogaz of Ukraine", he stressed.

According to the interlocutors, this situation is unacceptable in the future, and therefore it is necessary to take certain measures. What will be the measures, as they say, were left aside. "The fog was dispelled" by the spokesman of the Russian concern Sergei Kupriyanov.

According to him, "after the implementation of all gas pipeline projects planned by "Gazprom": "South Stream" with a maximum capacity, "Nord Stream" with additional new threads, given the existing company-owned transportation facilities in Belarus and in the Black Sea - the transit value of Ukraine for Russian gas exports will be equal to zero".

Will Belarus benefit from the Russian-Ukrainian "gas war"? This question was addressed by UDF.BY to the head of the Mises Center, economist Yaroslav Romanchuk.

"Certainly, "Gazprom" will use "North Stream", "Beltransgaz" and "South Stream", which it planned to build ... Of course, this is a threat to Ukraine, but the threat of five years ahead, until all the gas transmission lines, they are going to build, are not ready", the expert said. Therefore, in his opinion, our southern neighbors have 3-5 years to think.

The economist says, that from the redistribution of transit flows Belarus "will not win anything special, because "Beltransgaz"is wholly owned by "Gazprom". "Certainly, "Beltransgaz" is the company which is located in Belarus and pays taxes in Belarus. In this regard, there are pluses, but I emphasize, they are small", the head of the Mises Center said.