Reuters: Russia won't cut European gas to curb re-export to Ukraine-minister

Russia will not curb gas exports to Europe this winter to prevent countries from re-exporting supplies to Ukraine, Energy Minister Alexander Novak told an Austrian newspaper.

"That is ruled out," he told Die Presse when asked in an interview printed on Thursday whether Moscow would limit gas exports to curb supplies to Ukraine, whose deliveries from Russia have been cut off since mid-June in a row over prices.

Novak said he expected the oil price to firm to around $100 a barrel by the end of the year, adding it was "no tragedy" the price was below that level now and he saw no objective reasons for it to fall below $90.

An oil price drop since July had to do with an economic slowdown and speculative factors as well as increased output in the United States thanks to shale oil exploitation, he said.
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