Another Gazprom Ploy.

Russia’s Gazprom announced that it is ready to keep supplying Ukraine with low-priced gas in exchange for the Ukrainian government’s agreement to create a consortium that would jointly manage the country?s gas pipeline system. Gazprom wants to discuss this issue with the new Ukrainian Prime Minister. Concorde Capital: After failing to negotiate with Ukraine’s former government, about increasing control over the Ukrainian gas transportation system, Gazprom is testing the waters with the Yekhanurov Cabinet. However, for Ukraine, the cost of loosing control over its gas transportation monopoly would far outweigh the benefits of cheap gas (USD 50 per 1,000 cm).  Thus, as before, we see the most probable outcome to be a compromise with Russian gas prices for Ukraine fixed near USD 80 ? 115 per 1,000 cm in the medium term.