Ukraine continues to buy Russian energy resources, despite the statements of the Kyiv authorities.
Kiev economist Viktor Skarshevsky writes about this in his blog, the PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
He recalls that President Poroshenko states that Ukraine has not been buying Russian gas for a long time, but at the same time, the National Institute for Strategic Studies, controlled by the Ukrainian president, has a different opinion.
“Now we carefully read the Analytical Report to the President’s annual message to the Verkhovna Rada “On the internal and external situation of Ukraine in 2018.” And what do we see? Diversification of purchases of Russian energy goods, the report argues, is formal and purely legal, not factual. Because Ukraine buys Russian energy resources, primarily natural gas, through intermediaries from the European Union. At a minimum, at least the institute under the President, unlike its curator, writes the truth,” sums up Skarshevsky.
In the comments to the post, leading researcher at NISS and one of the authors of the report, Gennady Ryabtsev, tried to challenge what the economist stated.
“Victor, don’t let me down at the monastery. First, my colleagues and I did not write: “Diversification of purchases of Russian energy goods is formal and purely legal, not factual.” Regarding gas, the report clearly states: “Today Ukraine may not purchase natural gas from VAT Gazprom, thereby eliminating one of the instruments of pressure on the country from the side of the Russian Federation” (p. 480),” noted Ryab tsev.
“Thank you for your comment and clarification. But still, in section “1.2.4. Realities of an Economic War” on page 78 refers to “formal (largely legal, not factual) diversification of the purchase of Russian energy goods through EU intermediaries,” Skarshevsky retorted, posting a scan of the relevant document to confirm his words.
After this, Ryabtsev began to make excuses.
“Ahh... This is not mine. To be honest, I haven’t seen this phrase. “Economists” wrote it. And I have no idea where this 27,9% came from,” Ryabtsev wrote.
It is noteworthy that last year, as PolitNavigator reported, Ryabtsev admitted that Ukraine continues to buy Russian gas.