An interview in Saturday’s Sme with the Czech energy envoy, Václav Bartuška, raises some interesting questions regarding the exceedingly complex gas crisis of January this year. Bartuška is a hawk, whose uncompromising attitude and comments ruffled feathers amongst EU members. The Czech stance can be considered reflective of its turbulent history with Russia and its tendency to automatically oppose Russia. It is therefore interesting that Bartuška suggests that during the crisis both Russia and Ukraine were working together. Stopping gas supplies to Europe is a complex technological task requiring cooperation and forward planning on both sides. Furthermore, the two sides shared common interests: the Ukrainians wanted Europe to pay for the 'technical gas' required to supply natural gas; while the Russians sought payment for the gas that the Ukrainians had siphoned off to fill their reserve tanks. Bartuška states that many people in both Kiev and Moscow considered the EU to be weak and therefore likely to pay out. One wonders whether Russian and Ukrainian perspectives on the EU have changed or if the gas crisis simply served to entrench them. Either way, all three parties are no doubt contemplating their strategies before the next gas crisis gets underway.
