Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi blames Ukraine for gas shortage. Ukraine admits the fact but refuses to reveal the amount.
      
      Naftogaz, Ukraine’s national gas company, confirmed that it siphoned gas but added that it was agreed by Gazprom. The exact amount is not disclosed under the pretext that it is a state secret.
      
      “The gas pipeline runs through Ukraine, which took 35 million cubic meters of gas, and after the Russian Federation upped the supplies by another 35 million cubic meters, Ukraine took 70 million cubic meters daily, without a contract for it signed by Gazprom,” said Mr. Berlusconi.
      
      The shortage was also due to the hard frosts in Russia. Anyway, he said, the reduction was minimal, amounting to 8% of the total supplies to Italy. Mr. Berlusconi talked several times with the Russian president and got maximal assistance.
      
      “We siphoned the gas indeed, but by doing so we covered the monthly tally. It was agreed by Gazprom, and we now have no disagreement with it,” said a Naftogaz spokesman. “A cut in the supplies is a matter to be resolved by Eni and Gazprom. Gazprom seemed to have promised to provide Europe with gas from its underground reservoirs”.
      
      Starting from Tuesday Italy has again tapped into strategic reserves of natural gas to compensate for the loss.
      
      Today, Brussels saw talks between Ukraine and EU on energy security in Europe. But security of the supplies will obviously still depend on the relations between Russian and Ukraine.