Current Relations
After the Russia–Ukraine gas dispute of 2009 the reputation of Russia as a gas supplier had been damaged. After a deal was struck between Ukraine and the EU on 23 March 2009 to upgrade Ukraine's gas pipelines Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin threatened to review Russia's relations with the EU. "If Russia’s interests are ignored, we will also have to start reviewing the fundamentals of our relations", Putin stated. According to Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko the plan appeared to draw Ukraine legally closer to the European Union and might harm Moscow's interests. The Russian Foreign Ministry called the deal "an unfriendly act" (on March 26, 2009).
Professor Irina Busygina of the Moscow State Institution for Foreign Relations has said that Russia has better relations with certain leaders of some EU countries than with the EU as a whole because the EU has no prospect of a common foreign policy.
Read more about this topic: Russia–European Union Relations
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