In a flurry of shuttle diplomacy over the weekend, the Czech prime minister, Mirek Topolanek, secured the signature of Russia's prime minister, Vladimir V. Putin, in Moscow and then flew to Kiev, where Ukraine's prime minister, Yulia V. Tymoshenko, also signed the agreement. Yet by late Sunday, the off-again-on-again deal appeared to be off again. Russia's president, Dmitri A. Medvedev, was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying he would not honor the pact. At issue was a handwritten phrase that Ms. Tymoshenko wrote beside her signature early Sunday morning, after the document had already been signed by Mr. Putin. In English, she wrote, "with declaration attached." Ms. Tymoshenko's declaration, a copy of which was obtained by The New York Times, said that Ukraine had not been guilty of stealing gas from the export pipelines, a statement essentially asking Moscow to backpedal on the allegation that had underpinned its justification for halting shipments to Europe.
In a flurry of shuttle diplomacy over the weekend, the Czech prime minister, Mirek Topolanek, secured the signature of Russia's prime minister, Vladimir V. Putin, in Moscow and then flew to Kiev, where Ukraine's prime minister, Yulia V. Tymoshenko, also signed the agreement.
Yet by late Sunday, the off-again-on-again deal appeared to be off again. Russia's president, Dmitri A. Medvedev, was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying he would not honor the pact.
At issue was a handwritten phrase that Ms. Tymoshenko wrote beside her signature early Sunday morning, after the document had already been signed by Mr. Putin. In English, she wrote, "with declaration attached."
Ms. Tymoshenko's declaration, a copy of which was obtained by The New York Times, said that Ukraine had not been guilty of stealing gas from the export pipelines, a statement essentially asking Moscow to backpedal on the allegation that had underpinned its justification for halting shipments to Europe.
