Russia to cut use of energy transit countries

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that Moscow would reduce its dependence on transit countries, such as neighbouring Belarus and Ukraine, to help guarantee security of energy supplies to Europe.

His comments were in part a reference to the controversial Nordstream pipeline, which a consortium led by Gazpro, the state-controlled energy group, is building under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany, bypassing countries including Poland. Mr Putin and Ms Merkel are understood to have discussed ways of bringing other countries into the pipeline projects.
Financial Times