Zubkov - the former Russian deputy prime minister and head of Gazprom’s supervisory board - asked Donald Tusk to lobby for Russia’s gas interests in the EU. This openly showed the expectations towards „their man in Warsaw” - Development and Technology Minister Waldemar Buda wrote on social media.

On Wednesday, Buda tweeted pictures of a document labelled as an unofficial translation from Russian of a letter from then Russian deputy prime minister and head of Gazprom’s supervisory board Viktor Zubkov to then Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The document was dated 17 December 2008.

The text of the document concerns issues related to the transit of gas through Ukrainian territory.

Over the last few months, the government of the Russian Federation and the joint-stock company Gazprom have been making every effort to settle a series of problems in relations with Ukraine regarding gas. This primarily concerns the payment by the Ukrainian side of a substantial debt for natural gas previously supplied

— reads the document.

A picture posted by the Minister of Development highlights an excerpt from the following text:

The Russian side intends to continue intensive talks with the Ukrainian side on the whole range of issues in the sphere of gas in the remaining days of 2008. It is clear that the responsibility for the critical situation that has arisen, which may affect European gas consumers, lies entirely with the Ukrainian side, and therefore the key to settling the matter is in its hands. The situation should well be taken into account during the contacts of the leadership of the European Commission and the EU member states with the official representatives of Ukraine.

„Scandalous document”.

Buda accompanied the attached photo with a comment:

Another scandalous document: Zubkov - the former deputy prime minister of Russia and head of RN Gazprom - asked Tusk to lobby for Russia’s gas interests at the EU. This openly showed the expectations toward „their man in Warsaw”

— he wrote.

Tłum. K.J.