From Friday, Slovakia has to pay for Russian gas in rubles
Updated 16:24
Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that he has signed a decree requiring foreign customers to pay for Russian gas supplies in rubles from April 1. If payments are not made, the contracts will be stopped.
“If I want to buy Russian gas, they will want to buy these in Russian banks accounts in rubles From the accounts will be from the payment of supplies,” he said in a speech.
“If the payments are not made, we will consider it a default, which will have consequences. No one will give us anything for free and we cannot do charity either. This means that the current contracts will be stopped,” he added.
Putin announced plans to pay for gas supplies in rubles a week ago, and this information was reflected in the ruble exchange rate. The exchange rate, which fell to an all-time low after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, rose sharply after the Russian president announced.
However, Western governments and companies have rejected such a claim, saying it is a breach of contract, as it includes payments in euros or dollars.
Leaders reject it
Germany and France have rejected Russia’s request to pay for supplies of Russian gas in rubles. According to them, the decision of Moscow concerns the last payments for raw materials from April 1 in unacceptable contracts, adding that this step “amounts to blackmail”. TASR reports on the basis of reports from Reuters and AFP.
German Minister Robert Habeck said at a press conference after talks with the French Ministry of Finance Bruno Le Maire that he had not yet seen the new decree signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, but that Germany was ready for all possible scenarios. Among them is also
Habeck said Russia would not be able to divide the Western allies in this way. He added that “the Allies will not be blackmailed by Russia.”
Bruno Le Maire also expressed his disagreement with the payments in rubles. He said that, like France, it demands Russia to pay for gas in Russian currency and is also ready to stop supplies. “It is possible that no Russian gas will flow tomorrow. It is up to us to prepare for it, and we are doing so,” AFP was quoted as saying by the French minister.
Vladimir Putin said he had signed a decree requiring foreign customers to pay for Russian gas supplies in rubles from April 1. If payments are not made, deliveries will be stopped.
Consideration