In a phone call on Wednesday, Putin said gas deliveries would have to be paid for in rubles from April 1, government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit explained. “At the same time, he emphasized in the conversation that nothing would change for the European contractual partners.”
Payments to Gazprom Bank
Payments must therefore continue to be transferred exclusively in euros to Banco Gazprom, which is not affected by sanctions. “The bank then converts the money into rubles,” Hebestreit said, quoting the Russian head of state. Putin declared last week that in future only rubles would be accepted as payment for gas deliveries to “hostile” countries. This includes all EU countries. G7 countries, among others, rejected the announcement as “unacceptable” and urged their companies not to comply with the Russian demand.
Scholz did not agree with the procedure now explained by Putin, explained Hebestreit. The chancellor “only asked for written information to better understand the procedure”. The G7 agreement remains in effect: “Energy deliveries are paid exclusively in euros or dollars. As stipulated in the contracts”.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had previously announced that the switch to the payments system would only take place gradually. On Thursday, the Russian government, the country’s central bank, which is subject to Western sanctions, and Russian energy giant Gazprom want to present their plans to implement the measure.