Gas Supplies To Europe Must Resume Immediately-EU

The Czech EU Presidency and the European Commission demand that gas supplies be restored immediately to the EU.

The European Union called for the immediate resumption of gas supplies to Europe on Tuesday after disruptions in a pricing row between Russia and Ukraine, urging the two sides to resume settlement talks immediately.

"Without prior warning and in clear contradiction with the reassurances given by the highest Russian and Ukrainian authorities to the European Union, gas supplies to some EU member states have been substantially cut," the EU said in a statement.

"The Czech EU Presidency and the European Commission demand that gas supplies be restored immediately to the EU and that the two parties resume negotiations at once with a view to a definitive settlement of their bilateral commercial dispute," the presidency and the Commission said in a joint statement.

They added that the EU would "intensify the dialogue with both parties so that they can reach an agreement swiftly".