Ukraine’s energy minister has admitted the country would not be able to survive peak energy consumption this winter without Russian natural gas and that Kiev intended to sign a supply deal with Moscow as soon as possible, maybe even this month. The statement, made on Aug. 10, is part of an increasingly fretful clamor in Ukraine as politicians and residents come to grips with the lack of preparedness for the next heating season, just over two months down the road. The country is short of about 5.5 billion cubic meters of gas and 4 million-5 million metric tons of coal needed to enter the winter with a modicum of comfort, and it is still out of cash.
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