Russian gas monopoly Gazprom accused the Ukraine on Wednesday of planning to siphon off gas that Russia transits through Ukrainian territory to the European Union, as a payment dispute escalated. Ukraine is the main transit route for Russian supplies to the European Union and a previous such dispute in 2006 led to knock-on disruption in EU countries.
The world’s most-influential finance chiefs convened in Saint Petersburg on Saturday and were to call for greater international cooperation on energy policies and increased investment in the energy sector, according to a draft text of their statement.
Depleted by a wave of arrests, Belarus’ opposition movement is seeking ways to regroup after week-long protests were broken up by a state apparatus determined to defend President Alexander Lukashenko. Authorities at a detention centre outside Minsk finally confirmed that they had in detention Alexander Kozulin, an opposition candidate at the March 19 presidential election.
Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko clinched a third term in office on Monday but opponents blasted the vote as an "unconstitutional seizure of power" and the European Union said stronger sanctions against the Belarussian leadership were likely.