Russia has warned the European Union of oil supply cuts because of a fresh row between Moscow and Kiev, the Slovak government said on Monday, hours after Russia played down worries about a new gas row with Ukraine.
The Slovak Economy Ministry said Russia has warned the European Union that Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic could experience oil supply cuts. A European Union source said oil stocks in those countries were adequate to withstand cuts.
Europe, which receives the lion’s share of its oil and gas needs from Russia, closely tracks Russian disputes with its neighbours after EU gas supplies were cut in the dead of winter in 2006 and 2009 due to disputes between Moscow and Kiev.
Another key transit state, Belarus, cut Russian oil flows to Europe via the Druzhba pipeline in January 2007, also due to a pricing row, which further undermined the image of Russia, the world’s top oil and gas producer, as a reliable energy supplier.
The earlier cuts occurred amid strained political relations between Moscow and its neighbours. Ukraine will hold a presidential election in January and analysts have said that if a relatively pro-Russian leader is elected, Moscow is likely to take a more accommodating stance in future energy negotiations.
