The deal is a little more complicated. Ukraine pays 1/3 of the market price for gas. Russia wants market price eventually, also influenced by the orange revolution obviously. Russian position is, why should we subsidize your economy while you turn your back on us and seek Nato membership, let them subsidize you. Ukraine maintains that market price would ruin Ukranian economy. So the price is increased gradually and it is always a mess. Gazprom wanted about half of the market price, 250, while Ukraine said 201 is the top price they will pay. After some time, Russians basically said **** you, we want full market price - 450. Ukraine refused, Russia stops all gas intended for Ukraine. After that Russia says Ukraine is siphoning the gas intended for EU and after Ukraine refused to let Gazprom monitors check the situation, closes all valves until the supposed siphoning stops.

Russia also asked for independent monitors from EU but Ukraine initially refused. After some pressure it appears that EU monitors will go to Ukraine. Negotiations are in place and it is expected that everything will return to normal in a day or two. If it doesn't, we may have a disaster here in the Balkans. Most western Europeans have reserves for weeks, even months, but Balkan countries don't. All gas shipments in Serbia through Ukraine stopped. Our German and Hungarians friends allowed us to have a portion of what goes through other pipelines but that's a very short term solution. If this last more than a couple of days, we're in trouble. Bosnia is in even worse situation. Croatia a bit better, they produce 2/3 of the gas they need, but Bosnia is 100% dependent of Russian gas and Serbia about 84%....