Moscow: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has refused to back down in Russia's confrontation with Ukraine, accusing the country of disrupting gas shipments to Europe.

Putin has ordered state gas giant Gazprom to continue with a 15 percent cut in daily shipments of European gas through Ukraine, to compensate for what he says is Ukraine's diversion of gas.

Ukraine blames Russia for the dispute, which has blocked shipment of Russian gas to six European countries and reduced deliveries to others.

Gazprom chairman Alexei Miller says Russia may halt all shipments through Ukraine if it blocks deliveries to Gazprom's European customers.

Miller told Putin in a televised meeting yesterday that Gazprom would discuss the crisis with EU officials in Brussels on January 8.

Source : PTI