Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko has claimed the purpose of the gas conflict between Ukraine and Russia might be to convince European consumers of Russian gas of the need to develop the Nord Stream gas pipeline, and solve the problem of the ownership of the Ukrainian gas transportation system.

"The European community has become a hostage to [the relations of Russia and Ukraine in the gas sphere]. I do not exclude that one of the reasons for this campaign was the intention to activate the unpromising project of the Nord Stream gas pipeline and show that the current system needs an alternative," he said at a press conference in Kyiv on Tuesday.