LUKOIL denied reports, stating that the Russian authorities had allegedly directed the company to cut petroleum supplies to Europe due to the Europe’s menace to introduce sanctions against Russia, following the armed conflict in Georgia.

 

The British newspaper Daily Telegraph reported (with a reference to a non-identified source), that the Government of RF instructed one of the Russian petroleum companies to get ready for cutting petroleum supplies to Europe in response to the anticipated sanctions.

 

The newspaper reported that one of the LUKOIL top managers was notified of the Government decision.

 

“LUKOIL received no warnings on the part of the Government. LUKOIL supplies petroleum and petroleum products in regular volumes”, - representative of the company’s press-center reported.

 

The French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said the day before, that state leaders of the European Union considered a possibility of introducing sanctions against Russia.

 

During the upcoming September 1 summit leaders of the European Union member-states will discuss situation around Georgia, whose former two autonomies were recognized by Russia as independent.

 

A Moscow trader of one of the Western petroleum companies denoted the Daily Telegraph publications ‘stupidity’. 

“This is a big stupidity and someone’s insinuations. There is no sense in such sanctions. One way or another, the West receives Russian petroleum by sea. One cannot close Primorsk. What will they do with petroleum? Will they bury it? And what about the importance of oil sales, which make up the basis of (Russian) monetary gain? Even during the worst days of ‘cold war’ the Russian petroleum was always sold out”, - he said, as reported by newsland.ru.