Expert sees start of second "gas war" in Ukraine
Kyiv, March 6 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The forceful actions by the Security Service of Ukraine towards the national gas company Naftogaz Ukrainy and the Customs Service of Ukraine have marked the start of a second "gas war" inside Ukraine, director of Penta center for applied political studies Volodymyr Fesenko believes.
"The second gas war was the event of the week. This time the war is being held within the country itself and between president [Viktor Yuschenko] and premier [Yulia Tymoshenko]. Their actions involve economic policies," the analyst said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Friday.
Fesenko said that Ukraine's politicians place business and political interests before the negative consequences of the fight for 11 billion cubic meters of gas, for the country's image in particular.
At the same time, head of the Open Policy Analytical Center Ihor Zhdanov said that the confrontation hostilities between the president and the premier would only aggravate, as vast sums of money are in question.