Lukashenka orders shutdown of Russian gas transit via Belarus

The Belarusian ruler demands Gazprom to repay for transit of Russian gas through the territory of Belarus.

Alyaksandr Lukashenka has said about his instruction to the government of Belarus to cut off transit of Russian gas through Belarus until Gazprom pays the debt of $260 million for transit through the territory of Belarus.

“Gazprom owes 260 millions for transit, considering May. I’ve instructed the government to cut off transit via Belarus until Gazprom pays up for transit. They have paid us nothing for half a year, Lukashenka said on Tuesday in Minsk during the meeting with Foreign Minister of Russia Sergei Lavrov, Interfax informs.

“They have gone so far, it is so cynical and absurd for them to cut down gas supplies when I owe them $190 million and they owe me $260 million,” said the ruler.

He underlined that the problem that it is not Belarus that fails to execute the contract, it is Gazprom that does. “We’ve been silent, we haven’t talked about it. Their press secretary mumbled something about our failure to sign some documents and so on,” said Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

“I want to inform you publicly about the conflict which is escalating into a gas war between Gazprom and Belarus. They say it is a dispute of economic entities, but I cannot understand what a dispute could reach the top level of political leadership of the country. Then it is not a dispute of economic entities. I am sorry, when we are humiliated, by words about some sausages, butter or pancakes; we view that as a slur to the Belarusian nation. It is inappropriate to behave like that for a president, and for a president of an allied neighbouring state,” he said.

The leader underlined that Belarus had not expected such a cynicism from the leadership of Belarus.

He stressed that Belarus was trying to find agreement with Russian partners, including the top level partners about maintaining the same terms of payment. “We haven’t agreed by May 1,” Lukashenka said. He said that payments for gas for May had been made in full by Belarus, that is considering the gas price increase demanded by Gazprom.

Lukashenka stated that the country has raised the necessary sum to extinguish its debt to Gazprom. “I have borrowed this money from my friends, and we will return this money in the nearest time,” he said. Notably, he has stressed that “strangers have given us this money within one day, while Russia could not wait for two weeks”. Lukashenka reminded that Belarus had offered to pay indebtedness for the delivered gas within 2 weeks, but the Russian side refused.

Lukashenka explained that the country does not have “spare money” to repay the debt. “We cannot take this money from the gold and currency reserves, we must support the exchange rate. We cannot take it from the budget as well, as money had been allocated there,” he said.

On Tuesday Gazprom cut the gas deliveries to Belarus by 30% for debts, while on Monday the deliveries were cut by 15%. Later it is expected the gas deliveries would be cut by 85%, in proportion with the existing indebtedness.