Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree on selling energy resources to “unfriendly” countries only for rubles.
Today I have signed a decree establishing the rules of Russian natural gas trade with the so-called unfriendly states,” Putin said.
The President stressed that European countries unfriendly towards Russia will now have to open ruble accounts in Russian banks to transfer payments for gas.
Nobody gives us anything for free and we will not do charity either,” TASS quoted him to say.
“In case the payments are not made, it will mean the breach of obligations on the part of the buyer, and this fact will be followed by all the necessary consequences,” Vladimir Putin insisted.
He recalled that this measure was a response to the freezing of about 300 billion dollars in foreign currency reserves that Russia had abroad, a sanction decided by the West in retaliation for the Russian offensive in Ukraine.
Consumers of Russian gas will have to make a foreign exchange transaction in Russia explained Kremlin.
“For those who pay for the deliveries of Russian gas, in fact nothing changes. They just acquire rubles in amount equivalent to the price in foreign currency provided in the contract,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
“Russia remains faithful to its contractual obligations, both in terms of volume and price,” he said.
On Wednesday, March 30, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had a telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin, during which they discussed the issue of paying for Russian gas in rubles. The German leader said that Germany was planning to pay for Russian gas in euros or dollars anyway.
Great Britain and Bulgaria have already refused to pay for gas in rubles. In addition, the UK authorities are considering tougher sanctions against Russia.
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