Anger as Russia digs in over oil

Vladimir Putin on Tuesday faced an angry European backlash about his decision to halt oil supplies through the pipelines crossing Belarus.

As the Russian president made clear his determination not to back down in his dispute with Belarus, Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, denounced his actions as “not acceptable”, noting that even during the height of the cold war, Russia had been a reliable energy supplier to Europe.
In a sign of how seriously Germany now questions its reliance on Russia, Ms Merkel said the new dispute cast doubt on the wisdom of her country’s plan to phase out nuclear power by 2020.

Financial Times