Gazprom sets time for Belarus gas cut-off

Russian state gas monopoly Gazprom will halt supplies to Belarus on January 1 if no new contract is signed to end a price dispute, warning European countries that their deliveries could be affected, the company’s chief said today.

Gazprom, which is demanding that Belarus pay more than twice the current price for gas next year and hand over a 50 percent stake in its gas distribution system, refused to back down after Minsk threatened to siphon off Russian natural gas bound for Europe in the event of a suspension of supplies to Belarus.