AFP - Russia reduced natural gas supplies to Belarus on Monday after Minsk failed to settle arrears, brandishing again the country's energy clout and raising the spectre of supply disruption to Europe. President Dmitry Medvedev told the chief of Russian gas giant Gazprom, Alexei Miller, to close the tap on Russian gas supplies after Belarus failed to settle nearly 200 million dollars (160 million euros) in debt. Belarus transports about 20 percent of Russia's western-bound gas exports but Gazprom has insisted the cut would not affect its European clients. "The debt has not been paid," Miller said in televised remarks. "From 10:00 am Moscow time (0600 GMT) on June 21, 2010, we are introducing a regime of limiting supplies of Russian gas to Belarus by 15 percent of the planned daily volume." Miller said talks were continuing but that the gas cuts would be increased to 85 percent in the coming days if a solution to the conflict is not found.