[G.K Zhukov]

Originally Posted by Miliukov

Granted, I don't know whether or not the allegations of Ukraine stealing from the pipelines are true.

Its a established fact that there has been massive tappings in the past of the gas-network (and oil) in the former USSR. I belive you can find lots of articles about it on the net if you google for it. This probably still continues, even inside Russia. According to my uncle, who works for Statoil and have been dealing with Gazprom in the past, told me that Gazprom had huge problems getting money in. Partly becouse of tappings. This was a few years ago.

When it comes to todays situation, its fairly obvious that the ukrainians are tapping off alot of gas. Why else would Germany, Poland, Austria, Hungary and other customurs report such a huge drop? Do we seriously belive that Gazprom would put itself in a position where it would be labelled a "bad supplier"? I think you gotta be pretty conspiratorical to belive so :P

What I am saying is that, aside from whether or not this economic situation should have arisen in the first place, the manner in which the Russian government has brought about the present scenario (Ukraine facing instantaneously doubled prices) is frankly unnacceptable.

The prize used to be 50£, so its alot more than doubling.
It's called capitalism, baby. If you dont like it, play another game. Most others play the game, and the ukraninans themself want to play that game.

This is ignoring the fact that I'm more inclined to "trust" the Norwegian government to handle its state firms reasonably than I am Putin's autocratic powerhouse.

Our politicans have one rule for the companies where the state holds total or partical control. To run it like a private company, and to obtaint maximum profits.

So in the example of Ukraine, a market-prize would have been demanded too. And ofcouse no offers of 3 months for the old prize and so on. We dont giev our friends (like Sweden) 75% off. We never have, we never will. This is how to system works in the west. And its not like the swedes sell they're Volvos to us with a rebate too.

Additionally I think Russia's binding the Eastern Bloc to them in thrall for four decades somewhat justifies at least some subsidisation of the poorer of said ex-satellites for some years thereafter.

In a ideal world, surely.
But again, it doesnt work that way. You see the US giving money or help to Latin-America after fuc*ing them up for four decades? No. Not that the US was subsidising Lating-America with anything during that time either. And expect for the Marshall-period, they didnt help its satelite states in Western-Europe either.