Germany Calls Rumored Russian Oil Cut Unlikely

"We firmly assume that contracts will be adhered to," government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said on Friday, Aug. 29.

He was responding to a report in the London-based Daily Telegraph that the Kremlin would order a cut-off in supplies to Poland and Germany through the Druzhba pipeline.

"There are no signs thus far that contracts and approved deliveries will not be adhered to," Wilhelm said.

The Telegraph reported Friday that fears were mounting that Russia could restrict oil deliveries to western Europe as soon as Monday after reports to this effect had begun circulating in Moscow.

"It is believed that executives from lead-producer Lukoil have been put on weekend alert," the British daily said.

It added that it had been informed by a "high-level business source" the executives had been "told to be ready to cut off supplies as soon as Monday."

EU must be clear with Russia

Regarding an emergency meeting on Monday of European Union heads on the crisis, Wilhelm said Chancellor Angela Merkel's aim was that the summit sent "a clear political signal of determination."

Wilhelm said the EU was united in backing the six-point plan put forward by French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Aug. 12 during visits to Moscow and Tbilisi and subsequently signed by Russian President Dimitry Medvedev and Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.