Word: russian
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Russia's decision to choke off natural gas supplies to a shivering Western Europe couldn't have come at a worse moment - and that's just as Moscow would have it. As icy temperatures chill European households normally heated by Russian gas, a diplomatic race is underway to resolve the Russo-Ukraine dispute behind the cut. But Moscow seems in no hurry...
...Wednesday marked the second straight day that many European nations received but a trickle of Russian gas pumped via Ukrainian pipelines. Ukraine is pivotal to Europe's gas supply; about 80% of Russian gas normally flows through Ukraine, and Russia provides 25% of Europe's gas. The latest cuts are the result of a dispute between Russia and Ukraine over the price Ukraine should pay for gas. Russian energy monopoly Gazprom says the per-unit price of $179 that Ukraine pays is a subsidized relic from the Cold War-era and that it is no longer offset by Ukrainian pumping...
...reduced the supply to one-fifth its normal flow. On Wednesday, it cut the supply entirely. By then, Austria, Hungary, Serbia, Greece, Croatia and Bosnia all reported a virtual shutoff in gas deliveries, and a resulting shortage in homes and businesses. So did Bulgaria, where the chill of the Russian gas cut was so swift - and where reserves are so low - that officials said they would consider restarting an unused nuclear power plant to compensate...
...interruptions were also felt in Slovakia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic, where deliveries from Russia dropped 70% or more. France and Italy also said that Russian gas flows were down 70% to 90%, though like most West European nations, both have larger reserves and are less dependent on Russian supplies than central and East European states...
...Read about Putin's reunited Russian church...