Russia is working out methods to accept payments for its gas exports in rubles, and will make decisions in due course if European countries refuse to pay in Russian currency, the Kremlin said on Monday.
At a meeting of European Union leaders on Friday, no common position emerged on Russia’s demand last week that “hostile” countries must pay in rubles, not euros, for their gas, after states United States and European allies unite in a series of sanctions against Russia.
Concerns about the security of gas supply rose after the demand, with companies and EU countries seeking to understand the ramifications.
The Russian central bank, the government and Gazprom, which accounts for 40% of European gas imports, must submit their proposals for ruble gas payments to Russian President Vladimir Putin by March 31.
“We are not going to provide gas for free, that is clear,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on a conference call. “In our situation, it is neither possible nor appropriate to get involved in charity (with European customers)”.
On Friday, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner advised German energy providers not to pay for Russian gas in rubles, in an interview with broadcaster Welt.
Italy will continue to pay Russia for energy in euros, a top economic adviser to the Italian government said last week.
“The only big problem in Europe is gas and Russia is asking us to pay in rubles that we don’t have and it’s not in the contract,” Claudio Descalzi, chief executive of Italian energy group Eni, said on Monday. at an industry event in the United Arab Emirates.
Poland’s PGNiG, which has a contract with Gazprom until the end of the year, also said it cannot simply switch to paying in rubles.
Source: CNN Brasil
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