01-09-08 Russia has no intention of limiting oil and gas exports to Europe, but rather it will "diversify" them, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said ahead of an emergency EU summit on Georgia.
The former president said: "We have no intention of limiting (energy exports) in any way; we will abide strictly by our contractual obligations. But we are going to enlarge and diversify our export possibilities for these products which are so essential to the global economy," he said.

Russia supplies a quarter of the European Union's gas needs, as well as a part of its oil requirements. President Dmitry Medvedev said Moscow is ready to retaliate against sanctions, in the event that any are agreed by EU leaders in Brussels. Together with the United States, the EU has condemned Russia's military surge into Georgia earlier this month and its decision to recognise two Georgian separatist regions as independent states.
The French EU presidency has all but ruled out sanctions, but leaders are still debating the response that could include measures to reduce Europe's dependency on Russian oil and gas.