Media: Europe will soon have to “knit sweaters” to warm Ukraine

MOSCOW, 29 Aug – PRIME. Serious problems with energy supply are expected in Ukraine, and it is likely that very soon Europe will have to supply Kyiv with warm sweaters, writes Josef Burzic, columnist for the Časopis argument.

The journalist recalled that Ukraine had lost about a third of its former capacity for electricity production, and, in addition, there were problems with coal. After the start of the special operation, Kyiv lost the ability to import coal, and now only a small amount of this energy carrier enters the country from Poland due to the fact that the railway connection is in operation.

Burzhich noted that Ukraine produced about 20 billion cubic meters (data for 2020) and consumed about 29 billion cubic meters of gas. Import was carried out thanks to reverse deliveries from Europe. All this worked as long as Europe had enough Russian gas, but now everything has changed. It will now be very difficult to import gas to Ukraine in the same way, and besides, the prices will be spot, and this will further limit the supply.

The observer expressed confidence that in the second half of the year there will be serious problems with Ukraine’s gas supply.

“Ukrainian energy problems will spill over to neighboring countries. The country’s power transmission system is connected to the European one, but the promises of the Ukrainian president that he will help Europe with electricity supplies in the winter, if European sources are not enough, will remain only promises. Most likely, it will turn out the other way around. Europe, in addition to its own problems with electricity and heat, which will be solved through additional sweaters, will also have to help Ukraine. Perhaps we should start knitting these same sweaters,” the journalist predicted.

Earlier, the head of Naftogaz Ukrainy, Yuriy Vitrenko, advised Ukrainians to stock up on blankets and warm clothes in anticipation of winter. According to the Guardian, the heating season itself will start later and end earlier, says the head of the board of Naftogaz Ukrainy. According to Vitrenko, Ukraine needs $10 billion to import gas. The allies understand that the country needs these funds, he stressed, but the head of the company is not sure that Kyiv will be able to get this money. “Without financial support (from the West), we will lack gas, which will mean that we will face very high risks of failure of the energy system … (Without gas imports) there will be blackouts in large sections of Ukraine,” he added.

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