The European Commission said Russia had said oil supplies could be cut off "in the coming days," the EUobserver reported Tuesday.
In Slovakia, Prime Minister Robert Fico told reporters Ukraine had requested higher fees for oil transit through the country, which triggered the latest round of concern, the EUobserver reported Tuesday.
The European Commission said it has a stockpile of oil for the 27-member states of the European Union that would last 122 days. Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic each have at least three months of emergency reserves, the EUobserver said.
Russia and Ukraine have both said the crisis would be averted.
Irina Yesipova, a spokeswoman for the Russian energy ministry, said "New Year's Eve will pas without disruption or unpleasant situations."
Ukraine said "a reasonable compromise" had been reached.
"Within Ukraine there are no threats, no risks," presidential aide Bogdan Sokolovsky said.
The worries have some history. In 2007, Russian cut off oil supplies due to a dispute with Belarus and last winter natural gas supplies due to disagreements with Ukraine.
Copyright 2009 by United Press International.
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