MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th December, 2021) The possible termination of Russian gas transit through Belarus would not meet the interests of either Moscow or the West, but the EU must understand the consequences of suppressing Minsk by sanctions, Aleksey Polishchuk, the head of the Russian foreign ministry's second CIS department, told Sputnik.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said earlier in December that Minsk may halt gas transit to Europe if Western sanctions put Belarus in an emergency situation.
The diplomat recalled that Russian gas is supplied to the countries of Western and Central Europe in four directions � the Turkish Stream and Nord Stream, the Ukrainian route and through Belarus. The latter is very important, as some 20-25% of all volumes are pumped through it annually, which is 7% of gas consumption in the European Union.
"The termination of the Belarusian transit would not meet either Russian interests or the interests of Western consumers; it would affect the volume of supplies and prices, which are already breaking records," Polishchuk said, noting that "Russia values the status of a reliable supplier of energy resources."
Ar the same time, Western and Central European countries "continue to suppress Belarus with sanctions, undermine its economy, support political emigrants and incite Belarusian citizens to unrest," while the reasons for the sanctions are artificially created, the diplomat said.
Russia constantly calls on Western countries to abandon double standards and illegitimate restrictions that point to their inability to solve problems in a civilized way, the official said, adding that Western restrictions are provoking retaliatory measures that are no less painful.
