Minister of Transport of DPR – Simon Kuzmenko said that because Ukraine does not want to engage in political dialogue, so some economic ‘weight’ is being put on Kiev by blocking the supply of coal to Ukraine.
Tihs article originally appeared at RIA, translated by Sokol exclusively for SouthFront
The Donetsk People’s Republic has forced economic pressure on Kiev by blocking coal deliveries to Ukraine because of the fact that Kiev does not wish to engage in any poltical dialogue, said Simon Kuzmenko Minister of transport – DNR.
Earlier, Minister of Transport of DNR had indicated that the supply of coal to Ukraine from the breakaway republic would be blocked. The condition layed down for the resumption of coal delivery was for Kiev to resume the supply of Fuel and car and locomotive spare parts for DNR as well as preservation of the ceasefire on the borders.
“Ukraine is not willing to engage in any dialogue in the political field, so you have to put economic pressure” – said Kuzmenko.
He added that the delivery of diesel fuel from Ukraine to DNR has been blocked since July and of spare parts – for over a year now.
”Earlier there were problems regarding the return of the locomotive wagons to DPR. We have now set a condition – Coal will be supplied only on the condition that the empty wagons will be returned to DPR. Still there are some interruptions, but they return” – said Kuzmenko.
Energy Minister of Ukraine, Volodymyr Demchishin, said that because of the heating requirement during Winter, Ukraine will be forced to buy coal from all possible suppliers, including Russia. Ukraine is currently purchasing coal from South Africa. It was noted in early August that Ukraine had about 1.5 million tons of coal in storage.
Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Valeriy Voschevsky reported that on a monthly basis, in Winter, Kiev needs to buy at least 800 thousand tons of anthracite coal from the uncontrolled region of Donbass. In early August, the Ministry of Transport of DPR reported that the enterprises of the republic provided Ukrainian companies with more than 435,000 tons of coal.
The military operation (ATO) against the coup-disgruntled residents of Donbass has lasted for more than a year. On the 12 of February, after negotiations a ceasefire agreement was reached, along with the agreements about withdrawl of heavy weapons from the frontlines, making changes to the Ukrainian Constitution pertaining to the decentralization of power, as well as special staus for ” Independent regions of Donetsk and Lugansk”.
