Russia halts oil supplies to Belarus
Russia halted crude oil supplies to Belarusian refineries effective from 1 January 2020, reports RIA Novosti quoting a source in the Belarusian energy sector.
The refineries in Belarus have been forced to operate at minumum capacity, using the crude oil stored reserve.
The transit of crude exports via Belarus into the rest of Europe continues, according to Russian news service Tass.
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On the New Year's Eve, Belarus signed a last-minute contract with Russian natural gas monopoly Gazprom on the costs of Russian gas supplies.
The halt in oil supplies comes after a series of calls between the countries’ leaders earlier this week failed to broker a compromise. President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Aliaksandr Lukashenka spoke on Monday and Tuesday, and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev was also involved in last-minute efforts to reach a deal.
The refineries in Belarus have been forced to operate at minumum capacity, using the crude oil stored reserve.
The transit of crude exports via Belarus into the rest of Europe continues, according to Russian news service Tass.
{banner_news_show}
On the New Year's Eve, Belarus signed a last-minute contract with Russian natural gas monopoly Gazprom on the costs of Russian gas supplies.
The halt in oil supplies comes after a series of calls between the countries’ leaders earlier this week failed to broker a compromise. President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Aliaksandr Lukashenka spoke on Monday and Tuesday, and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev was also involved in last-minute efforts to reach a deal.