Putin Says Kiev Cutting Gas to Donbas Is Genocidal

President Vladimir Putin said today that Kiev’s shutting off supplies of gas to the Donbas, on top of the food shortages, “bears the hallmark of genocide,” according to Sputnik.

“It has become known to us that Kiev suspended gas supplies, referring to alleged damage to gas pipelines. At the same time, Gazprom is fulfilling the contract signed back in 2009 and an addendum to it made in October last year. In full compliance with this contract, it supplies gas to Ukraine under advance payments made for the volumes, which Ukraine needs…. Gazprom is not breaching any provisions.”

He added:

“As for the damage to the gas pipeline, I don’t know for certain, but I know that these regions are home to about 4.5 million people. Just imagine that these people may be left without gas supply during the winter period. As if the hunger was not enough — the OSCE has already stated that the region is experiencing a humanitarian catastrophe — they had their gas supplies cut off. What would you call it? I would say this bears the hallmark of genocide.”