Gas supplies to Europe to resume

Ukraine, Russia and the EU struck an agreement yesterday that should enable the resumption of Russian supplies via Ukraine to Europe, large parts of which have been plunged into a mid-winter energy crisis.

But it was unlikely the gas would reach Europe earlier than tomorrow, nearly two weeks after a gas price row broke out between Moscow and Kiev, choking off supplies and raising new questions about the EU's reliance on Russian energy.

The agreement signed yesterday is for international teams of monitors to deploy to pumping stations along the route of gas pipelines through Russia and Ukraine to Europe - a condition set by Moscow to start gas flowing again.