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GAS WARS 2.0! EU fucked again...
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Russia Deepens Belarus Gas Cuts
MOSCOW—Russia stepped up pressure on neighboring Belarus Tuesday, reducing natural gas supplies to the country by 30% as Minsk threatened to take gas destined for Europe from transit pipelines, Russia's state-run gas giant OAO Gazprom said.
From 6 a.m. GMT on Tuesday, Gazprom reduced supplies of Russian gas to Belarus by 30%, said Alexei Miller, chief executive of Gazprom. The company reduced gas supplies Monday by 15% and Mr. Miller said the gas cuts would be increased to 85% in the coming days if Minsk doesn't pay an unsettled gas bill of $192 million.
The European Union depends on Russia for around 25% of its gas needs, though the bulk of that transits through pipelines outside Belarus.
The European Union has said it doesn't expect supply disruptions, but Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Monday that it is technically possible that Belarus can siphon off gas meant to go to the European Union.
The conflict marks renewed tensions between Moscow and Minsk, after Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko failed to join a planned customs union with Russia and Kazakhstan. "The bilateral political tensions between Moscow and Minsk, which have played a key role in the gas pricing dispute, are likely to persist, and the risk of future disruption to European supplies remains," said Eurasia Group's Ms. Ustinova.
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