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BRUSSELS -- The European Commission will send a team to Moscow and Kiev to assess the situation after Russia said it may cut gas supplies to Ukraine in a move that would disrupt transit supplies to Europe.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has informed European Union governments of the plan, a spokesman for the commission, the executive arm of the 27-country EU, told a daily briefing on Thursday.
"A team of European officials will be traveling to Moscow and Kiev on a fact-finding mission, and there will be discussions with the European gas industry," the spokesman said.
"In the light of this, there will be a report from the European Commission to the European Council [of ministers] in June," he said.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said gas transit to Europe may stop at the end of June or in early July if Ukraine does not pay for pumping the gas into underground storage.
Russia, which supplies a quarter of Europe's gas mainly via Ukraine, cut gas to the country twice in recent years because of pricing disputes, disrupting gas supplies to the region.
Gas Mission Sent to Kiev, Moscow
05 June 2009
Reuters
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