Gas Deal Roils Ukraine and May Have Cut Leader’s Vote

A mysterious company called RosUkrEnergo, whose executives and addresses are largely unknown, brokered a deal in January to resolve a confrontation between Russia and Ukraine over the price and sales of natural gas in the Ukraine. The company has links to Russia's state energy monopoly, Gazprom. Opposition to that deal reflects concerns about other corrupt privatization deals of the past – and contributed to a poor showing for President Viktor A. Yushchenko in March parliamentary elections. Russian leaders claim to have little knowledge about the company, and winners of the Ukraine election have vowed to revisit the deal. The uncertainty could rattle energy markets in Europe that rely on Russian and Turkmenistan gas passing through Ukraine's pipelines. The election results suggest that Ukrainians expect reform, rejecting any corruption that could increase energy prices. – YaleGlobal