Russia’s Gazprom threatens Europe gas cuts through Ukraine

By STEPHEN McGRATH
Associated Press

Russian energy giant Gazprom has threatened to reduce natural gas supplies through the last pipeline heading to Europe via Ukraine, saying the amount it’s supplying for Moldova is not ending up in the former Soviet republic. Gazprom says the gas company of Europe’s poorest country, Moldovagaz, paid for part of its November flows of gas under its contract but that nearly 25 million cubic meters has been supplied but not paid for. The Russian state-owned company tweeted that if “the imbalance observed during the transit of gas to the Moldovan consumers across Ukraine continues,” Gazprom “will start reducing its gas supplies” through Ukraine starting Monday. Ukraine says all supplies that Russia sent through the country were “fully transferred” to Moldova.