Russia, Ukraine: The New Natural Gas Deal's First Test

Midnight Moscow time Feb. 7 is the first deadline for Ukraine to pay Russia under the countries' new natural gas agreement. The new plan does not give Kiev any room for mistakes; one late payment and Ukraine will have to start paying for natural gas shipments in advance. Furthermore, a late payment would give Russia grounds for nullifying the agreement and cutting off natural gas supplies again, restarting the natural gas crisis that began at the start of 2009.