National State TV Interview... "Violation of Gas Transport Contract with Us"
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed hope that Belarus would not block the supply of Russian gas to Europe.
On the 13th (local time), according to the British BBC and Russian news agency Sputnik, President Putin said in an interview with the state-owned channel Rossiya TV that he had spoken twice with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko but never imagined that Lukashenko would threaten to cut off gas supplies to Europe.
Earlier, on the 11th, President Lukashenko threatened to "cut off gas supplies" to Europe after the European Union (EU) announced sanctions against Belarus over the migrant crisis near the Polish border.
President Putin emphasized, "The president of the country through which migrants pass to reach Europe may order the pipeline to Europe to be cut off, but that would violate our gas transportation contract, and I hope such a thing does not happen."
He added, "There is nothing good about that," and said, "I will talk with President Lukashenko about this issue. Perhaps he said that out of anger for a moment."
As tensions escalate in the Belarus-Poland border area, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss stated that Russia must clearly take responsibility and urged a resolution to the issue.
The EU accused Belarus of fomenting the crisis to threaten EU security, but Belarus denied the allegations.
The EU may also suspend international flights used by Middle Eastern migrants to land in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, with such sanctions possibly taking effect as early as the 15th.
Earlier, Turkish Airlines, a Turkish carrier, announced restrictions on ticket sales for some routes to Iraq, Syria, and Yemen nationals, and Iraq is planning to repatriate its citizens who traveled to Belarus.
The EU is also reportedly planning sanctions to prevent the Russian airline Aeroflot from transporting Middle Eastern migrants to Belarus, but Aeroflot has denied the allegations.
In May, after Belarus forced an Irish Ryanair flight passing through its airspace to land at Minsk airport and arrested an opposition journalist on board, the EU banned Belarusian airline Belavia from flying through EU airspace.
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