Kremlin says Belarus under pressure, hopes it will not suspend gas transit to Europe

Belarus and its President Alexander Lukashenko have found themselves under "unprecedented, unjustified pressure", the Kremlin said on Wednesday, adding Russia hoped it would not trigger a shortage of Russian gas flows to Europe via Belarus.

On Wednesday, Lukashenko said he was ready to suspend Russian energy flows if Poland closed its border with Belarus and the Kremlin repeated it was Minsk's own idea not agreed with Moscow. Some Russian gas and oil flows cross Belarus on their way to Europe.

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said that pressure on Belarus over the migrant crisis triggers "a tough response" from Lukashenko.