Moscow: After G7 ministers declared the agreement “unacceptable,” Russia reiterated Tuesday that it will only accept ruble payments for gas deliveries to the EU. “Nobody is going to give you petrol for free. This is simply not feasible. It can also only be paid in rubles “Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, told reporters.
“Companies must realize the fundamentally different climate that has emerged as a result of the economic war fought against Russia,” he said. Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that for natural gas sales to “unfriendly” countries, such as the European Union, Moscow will only accept rubles as payment.
Moscow pushed soldiers in Ukraine
Since Moscow pushed soldiers into Ukraine, Western countries have placed devastating sanctions on it, with the United States barring the import of Russian oil and gas, among other measures. However, the European Union, which received roughly 40% of its gas from Russia in 2021, has decided to keep receiving supply from Moscow.
Germany’s Robert Habeck, speaking on behalf of the G7 energy ministers, said Monday that Russia’s request was a “unilateral and unambiguous contravention of the current agreements.” Mr. Putin’s demand for ruble payments was “unacceptable,” he added, and he urged energy companies not to comply.
On Thursday, Putin is due to be presented with a system that will allow gas payments to be made in rubles by the Russian government, central bank, and energy giant Gazprom. “Nothing compares to Russian gas; all other options are inferior. That is the truth “Mr. Peskov stated the following.