Putin to Freeze Europe

Petro thug. -- Russia will reduce gas flows to Europe via Ukraine from Monday by the same amount it says Kiev is siphoning off, a measure that could further hurt supply to European countries facing freezing temperatures. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin ordered state-run monopoly Gazprom to reduce supplies to the Ukrainian border in an escalation of the dispute between the two countries. Europe relies on pipelines across Ukraine for one fifth of its gas. "Yes, cut it today," Putin told Gazprom Chief Executive Alexei Miller at the prime minister's residence near Moscow.