MINSK

Belarus is sharply reducing petrol supplies to Ukraine as President Alexander Lukashenko moves closer to the Kremlin to shore up his economy.

The move comes amid outrage about the recent incident in which Minsk forced an EU-registered passenger plane to land in the country with the sole goal of arresting a 26-year old independent journalist.

Kyiv also decried what they said was discriminatory limitations imposed on Belarusian imports of essential Ukrainian goods.

But some commentators discounted suggestions of a link to the diplomatic row between Minsk and the EU. Ukraine joined Western nations in slapping sanctions on Belarus, including a ban on Belarus’s national airline flights.

Serhiy Kuyun of the A-95 consulting group on fuel issues said that Ukraine would receive only 10,000 tonnes of petrol in June instead of the usual 50,000. Earlier reports had suggested that Ukraine would receive no petrol at all from its standard delivery source.

Commentators said the shortages were linked to Belarusian fears that there would be insufficient quantities for domestic consumers, perhaps to pressure Minsk to toe the Kremlin line.

The Unian news agency said the shortages were linked to a decision by Russian companies to halt supplies to Naftan – Belarus’s second-largest refinery — because of newly-imposed U.S. sanctions. A Belarussian oil company official said the shortages were simply short-term issues triggered by repairs at the main Mozyr refinery.

Belarus had earlier imposed restrictions on goods coming into the country from Ukraine – ranging from confectionery to toilet paper, beer and farm goods – saying that Ukraine was trying to limit competition from Belarusian goods.

Ukrainian Deputy economy minister Taras Kachka said new six-month licences would be required to import Ukrainian goods that would come into force in 10 days.

Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Guryanov later said Minsk was ready to rescind the licence requirements if Ukraine halted its restrictive measures.