Ukraine accepts EU proposal; signs gas transit deal

Ukraine today accepted a deal on the EU-led monitoring of Russian gas transiting its territory, opening the way for restarting Russian natural gas supplies to a freezing Europe.

Russia, which halted shipments four days earlier, wanted the written deal to renew gas shipments that it suspended amid a bitter contract dispute with Ukraine.

The suspension was seen by many as yet another attempt by Moscow to reassert its clout over Western-leaning former Soviet republics.

Russia said it needed European Union monitors deployed to Ukraine to prevent it from stealing Russian gas intended for Europe. Ukraine hotly denied the claims.

Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, shuttled between Moscow and Kiev yesterday to mediate the deal.

He finally persuaded Ukraine to accept the monitoring pact during marathon talks which dragged past midnight.

Nothing prevents Russia now from resuming gas supplies," Topolanek said after Ukrainian officials endorsed the deal.

"We once again have shown our goodwill," Ukraine's prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, said, adding that the monitoring mission would uphold her nation's image as an "honest transit country."

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin promised that Moscow will resume gas shipments once the deal is signed and monitors are in place.

Putin didn't say how quickly Russia may restart supplies, but Bohdan Sokolovsky, an energy adviser to the Ukrainian president, told The Associated Press it would take Russia some 30 hours to begin gas deliveries and it would then take an additional 36 hours for Ukraine to move gas to its western border.

Russia supplies about one-quarter of the EU's natural gas, most of it shipped through Ukraine.