Moscow - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin called Monday for an end to the problems that have seen a drastic cut in the delivery of oil to the Czech Republic.

The Czech government has criticized a sudden reduction in the flow at the beginning of the month. Prague officials have raised the possibility of a link to the signing of a deal with the United States on a missile defence system.

"I call on you to ensure that disruptions do not occur," Putin told Russian oil officials and oil suppliers, according to a report by the Interfax news agency.

Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin said deliveries to the Czech Republic had fallen to 260,000 tons in July from the usual 442,000.

He blamed the cutback on unreliable middlemen. "The overwhelming majority of Russian companies have no direct contracts with Czech firms," he said.

There has been speculation in Prague that the sudden reduction could have been a Russian reaction to the planned stationing of a US radar station in the Czech Republic in terms of an agreement signed in early July.

Putin and the Russian military have repeatedly criticized the US plans, which include missiles stationed in Poland, and warned of "countermeasures." (dpa)