Gazprom: No risk for Russian gas deliveries to Europe

Update 18.00 CET: Russian state monopoly Gazprom has assured that gas deliveries for its European clients will continue on a regular basis.

Earlier it was feared that Russian-Belarussian dispute over gas prices may affect gas supplies to Poland, Lithuania and Germany. More than 20% of Russian gas exports go on a transit route across Belarus. Cutting off Belarus, which refused to accept a rise in prices for natural gas imports, could mean shortfalls for Europe, if Belarus still siphons off gas that goes through its territory to Western countries. Gazprom now assures this will not be the case.

Russian gas supplies to Belarus are to cease on January 1, if no contract is signed within the next 3 days. Commenting on the situation, head of Polish presidential chancellery Aleksander Szczygło has said that Poland will continue to work to diversify its energy sources in order to lessen Poland's dependence on Russian energy. Fuel market analyst Andrzej Szczęśniak is of the opinion that a real crisis in gas supplies in Poland is not likely.
Source: polskieradio.pl