Russia Pressed on Oil Cut To Czechs

MOSCOW — The German Economy Minister, Michael Glos, pressed Russian government ministers about a drop in oil shipments after the Czech government agreed to participate in a planned American anti-missile shield.

"I made it clear that in our view political misconduct as perceived by the Russians shouldn't be answered with economic pinpricks," Mr. Glos told reporters in Moscow yesterday in response to a question about the Czech supply cut. "Those aren't the standards we value in the European Union."

Russia decreased oil deliveries to the Czech Republic last week, raising concern the supply cut was related to the Czech government's signing on July 8 of an agreement to host a radar station for the American missile-defense system. Russian officials said the reasons for the drop were commercial.

While Mr. Glos said it "appears" the decline was "a normal business operation," he said he was bringing it up in talks yesterday with his counterpart, Elvira Nabiullina, and the Industry Minister, Viktor Khristenko. Mr. Glos met the new Russian energy minister, Sergei Shmatko, Monday.