Deputy Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture Minister Taras Kachka has said that the suspension of oil shipments from Russia to Belarus will not influence the situation in Ukraine in the short term, however the ministry is developing an action plan in case a threat appears.

"The decision to suspend oil shipments from Russia to Belarus will not affect the situation in Ukraine in the near future. We are regularly monitoring the situation and developing an action plan to eliminate any negative impact related to turnover of crude oil and petroleum products from Russia (direct and indirect)," Kachka told Interfax-Ukraine on Friday.

As reported, Belarusian refineries – OJSC Naftan (Novopolotsk, Vitebsk region) and JSC Mozyr Oil Refinery (Gomel region) – earlier confirmed the absence of oil supply contracts with Russian oil companies and the suspension of crude shipments from January 1, 2020; both enterprises are presently refining crude left from the end of December. The enterprises said that the existing crude stockpiles will allow them to continue operating at a technically acceptable capacity until mid-January.