The European Union has reacted with sharp criticism as the deepening gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine led to a sharp fall in Russian gas supplies to the bloc, transited through Ukraine. Poland, which receives forty percent of its gas needs from a pipeline running across Ukraine, is viewing the dispute with great concern.

The Czech EU Presidency and the European Commission called on Russia and Ukraine to resume negotiations at once with a view to a definitive settlement of their bilateral, commercial dispute. In Warsaw commentators hope that this row will prompt the EU to forge a common energy policy. Polish politician say that such a policy and differentiation of gas supplies to Poland are the best ways to offset the risk stemming from the dependence of the Polish economy on Russian gas supplies. Head of the National Security Bureau Wladyslaw Stasiak says with emphasis that Poland should treat its energy security as a priority now.

“Within a year Poland will have to negotiate a new stage of the Jamal deal on gas supplies to Poland. We, too, will have to talk with Gazprom. We have to think about that in advance.”

Minister Stasiak says that Poland and the European Union should support Ukraine in its gas dispute with Russia.

Head of the parliamentary grouping of the ruling Civic Platform Zbigniew Chlebowski recalls that the new Lisbon Treaty envisages a common energy policy of the European Union.

“The conflict between Russia and Ukraine shows that in is in the interest of Poland as well as all the EU member states to take a new approach to talks with Russia. We should also look for new sources of gas supplies to Poland. The issue of diversification of gas supplies is a topical one today.”

Former Polish prime minister, now MEP Jerzy Buzek says that Poland would have its energy security guaranteed if it did not pull out of a deal on gas supplies from Norway, which his government clinched in 2001.

Forty percent of Russian gas imported by Poland transits through Ukraine. Its amount has dropped already. Jaroslaw Petz says a black scenario that Poland will run short of natural gas is unlikely. But he believes that a European system of energy security should be built.

Polish President Lech Kaczynski is traveling to Ukraine next week for talks with President Viktor Yuschenko to discuss the implications of the commercial dispute between Kiev and Moscow and ways out of it.

Click on the audio icon to listen to the report by Krysia Kołosowska.