Kyiv.Ukraine.Ukraine Gate – November 1,2021- Russia’s move to suspend thermal coal supplies to Ukraine comes due to the sharp rise in energy prices and the aggravation of the gas crisis in Europe, while the main reason behind the ploy is to provoke a political crisis in Ukraine.
The political scientist Volodymyr Fesenko expressed his opinion on this matter.
“It is not only that they want to sell their coal at a higher profit or raise prices. There were also objective reasons, but under the pretext of the need to cover the internal demand for gas and the lack of sufficient quantities for export, they exacerbated the gas crisis in Europe, they raised prices sharply, and now they are benefiting Partly from them, blackmailing Europe with this gas price. This is also political blackmail. They demand the adoption of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline as soon as possible.”
At the same time, Fesenko suggested that the ceasing of thermal coal supplies to Ukraine could be an attempt by the Russian side to persuade Kyiv to cooperate with the occupation administrations in eastern Ukraine.
“Here I should recall the story of 2014, when through (Vladimir Putin’s political operative in Ukraine Viktor – ed.) Medvedchuk, the Russian side offered the then Ukrainian leadership to purchase coal with cash, directly from separatists. Unfortunately, the Ukrainian leadership did agree back then. Now, I think the issue will be considered. Medvedchuk is already under investigation. Why had they agreed then anyway? After all, that cash was handed to the party fighting against Ukraine … Now I believe Russia seeks to restore that situation, they wish to force us to buy coal directly from these so-called ‘republics,’” Fesenko suggestted.
In his opinion, such interaction through informal legitimization of Russian proxies with the so-called “LPR/ DPR” could contribute to the violation of the Minsk agreements’ structure.
“On the one hand, this way they want to force us to informally recognize these ‘republics’ through coal, and then they will use it as a precedent, claiming: ‘Well, you are talking with them anyway, so let’s talk within the Minsk agreements. Just recognize them and sign an agreement with them.’ And this will mean their official recognition, so then they could claim some unlimited autonomy, which would essentially imply a radical change in Ukraine’s state system. Also, this way they would compromise charges pressed against Medvedchuk, claiming that ‘if you agreed to this today, what’s the point of charges against Medvedchuk then?’” the political scientist explained.
