Ukraine files a new claim against Russia for 7 billion
Top manager of Naftogaz Yuriy Vitrenko confirmed Ukraine's plans to file new lawsuits against Russia demanding payment of compensation for lost assets in Crimea - Kyiv hopes to receive about $2020 billion from Moscow in 21-7.
“We are now filing updated claims against Russia for the loss of the opportunity to use our property in Crimea. And there is a large amount of claims - $5 billion excluding interest. But with interest this is already more than $7 billion,” Vitrenko said in an interview with the Ukrainian publication Liga.
He expressed hope that the court’s decision in The Hague “will be at the end of 2020 or 2021,” a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
The day before, a member of the International Affairs Committee of the Federation Council, Igor Morozov, expressed bewilderment why Kiev, after a compromise with Moscow on the gas contract and Gazprom’s agreement to pay $3 billion to Ukraine, was taking new unfriendly steps such as searching for a “Russian trace” in the Boeing crash in Iran .
“We resolved the gas issue, resolved the issues with paying the debt. We met halfway, and now we are again running into a position that contradicts the normal foundations of our friendship with the Ukrainians. The prospect of further dialogue is torn apart if this version continues,” the senator said.
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak previously called Gazprom’s payment of $2,9 billion to Ukraine according to the decision of the Stockholm arbitration “a drop in the bucket” compared to the potential risks for Russia.
“The $2,9 billion that we will pay in pursuance of the court decision that has already entered into force is a drop in the ocean compared to the claims that could be for Russia,” the official said on the Rossiya TV channel.
“There is such a children's game - “slap for fear”, when a sudden movement causes fear in the opponent and as a result he receives a slap or something similar for this. But that’s a big deal, but here the size of the “snatch” is larger than, for example, all the expenses within the framework of the national Healthcare project in 2019. Did I understand Kozak correctly that “a drop in the bucket” is also allocated for the implementation of the national project “Healthcare”?” – commented political scientist Mikhail Sinelnikov-Orishak.
Let us recall that after the reunification of Crimea with Russia, all drilling rigs of the Crimean company Chernomorneftegaz were taken under control by the Russian military. Kyiv considers drilling platforms its property and threatens Russia with an international court.
Ukraine once purchased drilling rigs to increase oil and gas production in the Black Sea, citing the need to “reduce dependence on fuel supplies from Russia.”
The Ukrainian side made several attempts to land its representatives on the platforms of Chernomorneftegaz, but each time the approach of Ukrainian vessels was not allowed by patrol ships of the Russian Navy.
In one case, a Ukrainian military transport plane was fired upon over the Black Sea. while trying to get close to the drilling rigs
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