Russia blames Ukraine in gas row

The Russian gas monopoly Gazprom said Ukraine is boycotting any negotiations over a contract dispute that led to the supply reductions to several European countries.

Gazprom Deputy Chairman Alexander Medvedev said Ukraine is siphoning some of Russia’s natural gas shipments from the export pipeline and also underground storages. He said the company is using alternate routes but they do not have enough capacity to bring supplies to normal levels.