A complete shutdown of Russian gas proved impossible because Gazprom pumps 90 percent of its exports to Europe through Ukraine's pipelines. Last year, Gazprom acknowledged Kyiv's claim that it had stopped all diversions for about 10 months. The reasons behind Gazprom's latest complaint are equally murky. Komarov did not explain, for example, how he could predict how much gas would be diverted this year. But perhaps more remarkable is how fast Gazprom renewed its complaints about diversions after Miller took over at the company.
Several explanations seem possible.
The first is that the change in officials may mean no change in Gazprom's policies. The company has spent years trying to gain control of Ukraine's pipelines to solve its transit problems. The campaign may simply be continuing because Gazprom's new leader sees no other choice. It is also possible that Komarov is pursuing his own agenda in raising the diversion issue. In the past, he has been vocal about the re-export problem.