Germany confirmed here on Monday that the transit of Russian oil to Poland, Germany and Ukraine through Belarus had come to a halt.

An Economics Ministry spokesman said, "We have no information on the cause."

News reports cited on Monday a spokesman for Belarus' pipeline operator Belneftekhim as saying that the Druzhba pipeline "is not pumping oil in the direction of Poland, Germany and Ukraine under orders from Belneftekhim".

Belarus and Russia have been at loggerheads over oil transit since the two countries resolved a trade dispute over natural gas. Moscow has imposed export duties on crude oil supplied to Belarus while Minsk has slapped a new customs duty on Russian oil transiting through Belarus.

Source: Xinhua