KIEV, Feb. 6 ??“ Ukraine was forced to accept a controversial natural gas deal last month due to Russian-Turkmen pact that had left the country virtually with no gas supplies starting in 2007, a top industry analyst said.

The pact also explains why Ukraine was forced to accept RosUkrEnergo, a controversial Swiss-based gas trader controlled by Gazprom, as the key gas supplier for the next five years.