Belarus to stop supply to Europe in "gas war" with

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Minsk Tuesday he had ordered the closure of the gas transit¹ to Europe via Belarus, "until Gazprom pays the debt（债务） for the transit.""Until they pay for the last six months, there will be no gas transit（运输）," Lukashenko said.
According to the Belarusian leader, Russian energy giant Gazprom owes his country 260 million U.S. dollars for transit fees to Europe, and Minsk owes the company 190 million dollars because of the difference between the gas price it has paid and the originally agreed price in the contract（合同）.
    "It is absurd that we are not paying off this debt," he said. "Unfortunately, the gas row is becoming a gas war between Gazprom and Belarus."One day earlier, when Lukashenko offered to pay back the due debt in machinery², equipment and other goods, his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev dismissed the suggestion with scorn, saying Gazprom could not receive payment in "pies, butter, cheese or other means of payment," only in currency, RIA Novosti news agency said.
    Apparently（显然，表面上） offended, Lukashenko on Tuesday said, "We take it as an insult when we are lowered to the level of chops, sausages, butter and pancakes."He, meanwhile, said his country had found money and would pay for the Russian gas "soon," but the money was borrowed from his friends since the country had no free money to pay off the debt.
    Belarusian state gas company Beltransgaz earlier on Tuesday said it would siphon off Russian gas supplies to Europe for its own need, the RIA Novosti reported, citing Belta agency.
    The move followed Russian Gazprom's further cut of gas supplies to Minsk on Tuesday by 30 percent, up from Monday's slash³ of 15 percent, over the debt of some 200 million dollars for gas Belarus consumed.
    However, according to a spokeswoman from Belarusian Energy Ministry⁴, full transit of Russian gas to Europe through Belarus had not stopped.
    Lyudmila Zenkovich said Belarus did not tap gas from its transit pipeline⁵ but had to switch a number of its power plants to reserve fuel.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

2 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

3 slash   

vi.大幅度削减；vt.猛砍，尖锐抨击，大幅减少；n.猛砍，斜线，长切口，衣衩

参考例句：

• The shop plans to slash fur prices after Spring Festival.该店计划在春节之后把皮货降价。
• Don't slash your horse in that cruel way.不要那样残忍地鞭打你的马。

4 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

5 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。