You're reading: Russia agrees to connect power grids with Ukraine, minus Russian electricity transmission to Europe

KYIV, Apr. 11 (Ukrainian News) – A Ukrainian government representative said Tuesday that Russia has agreed to link its power grid with Ukraine’s within the next 10 days, but Russia will not be transmitting its energy to Europe through Ukraine.

According to Prime Minister Viktor Yushchenko’s spokesperson Natalia Zarudna, the deal to connect the two countries’ power systems calls for an equal exchange of energy, adding that Russia and Ukraine would conclude separate agreements regulating the issue of the transmission and commercial purchase of electricity.

The Unified Energy Systems of Russia said on Monday that it would not connect the two grids unless Ukraine agreed to permit the transit of Russian electricity through its power grid to Europe.

Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers last week approved reconnecting the Ukrainian and Russian power grids on condition that the two countries exchange equal quantities of electricity.

The Russian and Ukrainian power grids were last hooked up in 1999, when they exchanged electricity for several months and then disconnected.

Ukraine did not buy Russian electricity during that period.