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“Gone are the days when energy could be used for blackmail!” This was stated by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on the occasion of the order of Russian President Vladimir Putin for Russian gas to be paid in rubles.
Putin: Russia will Accept Payments for Natural Gas only in Rubles
Von der Leyen called it “blackmail” and “an attempt to circumvent EU sanctions”.
“This would be a unilateral decision that violates the terms of the deal. We have not imposed sanctions to allow anyone to circumvent them. Gone are the days when energy could be used for blackmail,” she said.
Other European leaders have also commented on this issue in Brussels, where the European Council is being held.
“Germany will not pay for gas and oil in rubles. There are concrete contracts everywhere and the currency in which the payments are made is part of them,” said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Poland also rejected this possibility. Their contract with Gazprom expires at the end of 2022, after which the country intends to abandon gas imports from Russia.
Austria has announced it will pay in euros.
“I do not think that anyone in Europe really knows what rubles look like. No one will pay for gas in rubles," said Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa.
“Paying for gas in rubles is a violation of the agreements,” said Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
Russia: Bulgaria will Pay for Natural Gas in Rubles
The Bulgarian position is different. There is no problem for Bulgaria to pay in rubles - said the Minister of Energy Alexander Nikolov. Prime Minister Kiril Petkov described this as a “technical issue” that is not of much importance.
One of the topics at today's European Council is the reduction of European dependence on Russian gas in the short term. The Bulgarian government will propose to the European Commission to negotiate on behalf of the whole EU and to buy collective quantities.
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