Pay $456m now or we cut your gas, Gazprom warns Belarus

[demoleft]

Source: The Guardian

Russia's Gazprom gas monopoly has threatened to halve supplies to Belarus tomorrow in a payment dispute that could disrupt deliveries to western Europe.
Moscow said yesterday it would cut by 45% supplies flowing to its neighbour through export pipelines - which also carry gas to Germany, Poland and Ukraine - if Minsk did not pay debts of nearly $500m (£250m) by 10am on Friday.

Gazprom said exports to the European Union would not be affected but it is feared that Belarus may replace its deficit by siphoning off gas in transit.

...
The Kremlin insists prices are set by market forces but critics accuse Moscow of wielding its energy reserves as a political weapon.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,2139809,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront

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Another gas war in view?

[xchrom]

1. gazprom = russias stage for rebuilding the old soviet empire.

they've been using these deliveries as fuckin club -- and i think they'll get away with it up to a point.

these developments will be interesting to watch.

[Tesha]

2. "Embargo, ON!"

[demoleft]

3. Fantastic pic! n/t