俄羅斯烏克蘭未能達成天然氣輸送協議

BRUSSELS — Russian and Ukrainian officials meeting here on Tuesday failed to reach a deal that would restart Russian deliveries of natural gas during the coming winter.

布魯塞爾——週二在這裏會面的俄羅斯和烏克蘭官員，沒能就俄羅斯在即將到來的冬天重新開始爲烏克蘭輸送天然氣一事達成協議。

The dispute, which focuses on how much and how soon Ukraine should pay Russia for gas it has already consumed, and the terms for future deliveries, has raised concerns in Europe that supplies of energy from Russia that are piped through Ukraine could be interrupted this winter.

爭議的焦點包括：烏克蘭應該爲業已消費的天然氣向俄羅斯支付多少費用，在多長時間內支付，以及與今後的天然氣輸送有關的條件。一些歐洲國家擔心，這可能會對俄羅斯今冬取道烏克蘭爲其供應天然氣的進程構成干擾。

Günther H. Oettinger, the European Union energy commissioner who has already brokered several rounds of talks, told a news conference that he aimed to sign a final agreement next Wednesday.

已經主持了若干輪會談的歐盟(European Union)能源專員金特·H·厄廷格(Günther H. Oettinger)在記者招待會上表示，他的目標是在下週三簽署最終協議。

During the coming days "everyone has got some homework to do," Mr. Oettinger said late Tuesday, after talks that lasted most of the day. But "we have some prospects of a secure supply situation this winter for all European citizens," he said.

週二的會談持續了大半天。厄廷格於當天晚些時候表示，在接下來的幾天裏，“每個人都要做一些功課”。但“我們有望在這個冬天確保天然氣供應，滿足歐洲民衆所需”，他說。

The standoff between Russia and Ukraine is delicate for the European Union, which is reliant on the shipment of gas through Ukraine for about a fifth of its gas supplies. Gazprom, Russia's natural-gas giant, shut the taps in 2006 and 2009 because of disputes with Ukraine, leaving many homes in Central and Eastern Europe without heat.

對歐盟而言，俄羅斯與烏克蘭之間的對峙是個微妙的問題。歐盟所需天然氣供應量的五分之一，得經由烏克蘭境內的輸油管道運送。由於與烏克蘭發生爭議，天然氣巨頭俄羅斯天然氣工業股份公司（Gazprom，簡稱俄氣公司）曾在2006年和2009年切斷天然氣供應，致使東歐和中歐的許多家庭失去供暖。

Russia raised its gas prices to Ukraine early this year, and Gazprom halted exports in June because of the size of Ukraine's outstanding bills. But the Ukrainians have accused the Russians of deliberately setting unfair terms to penalize the government in Kiev for tying itself more closely to the West.

俄羅斯在今年年初上調了向烏克蘭出口天然氣的價格；由於烏克蘭拖欠鉅額貨款，今年6月，俄氣公司停止了對它的天然氣出口。但烏克蘭人控訴稱，爲了懲罰與西方關係愈發密切的位於基輔的烏國政府，俄方故意設置了不公平的條件。

The gas feud represents another front between Ukraine and Russia. Skirmishing in eastern Ukraine has continued in recent weeks between pro-Russian rebels and forces allied with the government in Kiev despite a cease-fire.

烏克蘭和俄羅斯在天然氣問題上一直存在糾紛，這是兩國間的第二條戰線。最近幾周，在烏克蘭東部，親俄反叛分子與烏克蘭政府軍仍有小型衝突，儘管雙方已經達成了一項停火協議。

Key sticking points in the gas talks have been how to calculate the size of Ukraine's debt and how quickly it should be repaid. One remaining question is whether the European Union will step in to help Ukraine pay its bills.

天然氣談判的主要癥結在於，如何估算烏克蘭的債務規模，以及烏克蘭應該以多快的速度清償債務。餘下的問題是，歐盟是否會介入，幫烏克蘭還債。

Of the $3.1 billion that Ukraine was agreeing to pay toward settling its debt, an amount of $1.6 billion "is still lacking," Alexander Novak, the Russian energy minister, told reporters.

俄羅斯能源部長亞歷山大·諾瓦克(Alexander Novak)告訴記者，烏克蘭同意支付31億美元結清債務，“目前尚缺”16億美元。

"This cash gap requires funding," said Mr. Novak, who suggested that the European Union "should examine the situation and share some of that burden."

諾瓦克說，“這個資金缺口需要填補。”他建議歐盟“審時度勢，分擔一些債務”。

For the Ukrainian energy minister, Yuri Prodan, the main contention appeared to be the terms on which it had agreed to buy further supplies of gas, at $385 per 1,000 cubic meters.

烏克蘭已經同意以每立方千米385美元的價格購買俄羅斯今後供應的天然氣，對該國能源部長尤里·普羅丹(Yuri Prodan)而言，爭論的關鍵似乎是其所附帶的條件。

"The situation needs to be regulated in a fashion so as to continue until spring of next year," said Mr. Prodan, who called for a binding agreement locking in that price.

“需要以某種方式限定價格，以便在明天春天之前保持價格的穩定，”普羅丹說。他主張簽訂一個具有約束力的協議，鎖定這一價格。