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In Ukraine, heaters and anger electric

KIEV, Ukraine - Disgruntled Ukrainians thronged Bessarabsky Market in downtown Kiev in freezing temperatures Tuesday to buy electric heaters after a natural gas cutoff by Russia brought on by a pricing dispute.

The halt of Russian gas supplies that began Sunday has not yet caused major heating problems, but Kiev residents feared the two sides were far from a resolution. Russian and Ukrainian officials resumed negotiations Tuesday, with officials saying results of the talks would be made public Wednesday, according to the RIA-Novosti news agency.

Residents of the capital largely blamed Russia, which wants Ukraine to pay four times more for gas than it did last year.

"It's Russia's revamped imperialism behind all this. They believe that with the cutoff of gas they can dominate us," said Valentyn Vasilyev, 32, who was among those buying a heater.

"Thanks to Russia I am now wasting handsome money on an electric heater. But Muscovites will not win this time," said 46-year-old Olena Kostenko, wiping her nose as it started to snow.

For the vendor doing a brisk trade at the open-air stand, the gas dispute has been good news. He sold 10 heaters in less than an hour for $21 each.

"I regret I didn't have more of these," said Yuriy, who gave only his first name because he feared legal problems for selling unlicensed goods. "People are buying like crazy."

Nearby a poster read, "Do not give money to Russian oppressors."

In the key western city of Lviv, several factories reported shifting from gas to coal or oil as their primary energy source.

The cutoff also reduced gas supplies to Europe, which gets about a quarter of its gas from Russia, though the European countries most affected - Hungary, Austria, Slovakia and Slovenia - reported supplies were back to normal Tuesday.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack criticized Russia for "the use of energy for political purposes."

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has characterized the gas dispute as an attempt by Moscow to wreck Ukraine's economy as the country integrates into Western Europe.

Some Ukrainians, however, mainly pensioners with strong emotional ties to the former Soviet Union, still believe the country's future lies in the renewal of economic, ethnic, religious and cultural links with Russia.

"What are we without Russia? A wasteland, nothing. You argue with a bear and it will ultimately eat you," retired army officer Mykola Kostenyk said.

PRICES GO UP: Russia's state-owned gas monopoly Gazprom asks for a fourfold price increase. Ukraine refuses to pay it.

GAS SHUT OFF: Gazprom cuts off natural gas supplies to Ukraine on Sunday. Other European countries also report drops in their supplies and Gazprom accuses Ukraine of siphoning off gas bound for Europe - a charge Ukraine denies. (Russia supplies about one-quarter of the gas consumed in Europe and 80 percent of that goes through Ukraine.)

EUROPE REACTS: European leaders express concern Monday, and Gazprom promises to turn up the volume to compensate for the falloff. The European countries most affected reported supplies are back to normal Tuesday.

TALKS RESUME: Russian and Ukrainian officials agree Tuesday to work on the dispute. Meanwhile, Ukraine is still cut off from its supplies.

[Last modified January 4, 2006, 01:08:07]