Ukraine and Russia resolved a dispute over oil shipment tariffs today, ensuring there would be no disruption in supplies to Eastern Europe over the New Year holiday, AP quoted the Russian Energy Ministry as saying, according to a news agency. The preliminary agreement over transit prices will be finalized and signed «within days,» ministry spokeswoman Irina Esipova told the ITAR Tass news agency, without giving details of the new deal. «New Year"s Eve will pass without disruption or unpleasant situations,» she was quoted by the agency as saying. Russia has warned of possible disruption of oil shipments to Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary, saying Ukrainian state energy company Naftogaz was seeking higher transit tariffs to reflect inflation and maintenance costs. Earlier on Monday, Ukrainian presidential aide Bogdan Sokolovsky had downplayed the possibility of a supply disruption, calling the Russian warning «political blackmail» and saying European customers had «no reasons to worry.» A year ago, Russia halted gas supplies through Ukraine for two weeks amid a price dispute with Kiev, resulting in a two-week supply cutoff to some Eastern European customers beyond Ukraine. Millions Europeans were left without gas for two weeks in January.
