German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks during the Global Solutions Summit 2022 in Berlin, Germany March 28, 2022. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/Pool
BERLIN, March 30 – Germany will continue to pay for Russian gas in euros or dollars, a government spokesman said, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin had informed the German chancellor that nothing would change for European partners despite his plan to pay in rubles .
Russia has said it plans to stop paying for its energy exports – particularly the gas on which Germany depends – from June 1 due to Western financial sanctions against Ukraine.
In a phone call between the leaders, Putin told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that nothing would change for European partners and payments would be made in euros and transferred to Gazprom Bank, which would convert the money into rubles, he said the German speaker.
“Scholz did not agree to this procedure in the conversation, but asked for written information in order to be able to better understand the procedure,” said the spokesman.
He added that an agreement by the Group of Seven that energy supplies from Russia would only be paid for in euros or US dollars would remain in place.
Economy Minister Robert Habeck, who had previously launched an emergency plan to manage gas supplies, said the situation was difficult to read and statements from Russia were not entirely clear.
He told ZDF that Russia had not withdrawn its threat to stop gas supplies unless they were paid for in rubles. “But there are first signals – not immediately and not so quickly,” said Habeck.
He added that Germany is doing everything it can to prepare for disruptions. Under the plans, Europe’s biggest economy could even ration electricity if the standoff hits supplies. Continue reading
Earlier, the Kremlin said that Putin and Scholz had agreed that experts from their countries would discuss how Russian gas exports could be paid for in rubles, the TASS news agency reported.
Putin also outlined a system for paying for Russian gas in rubles to Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi during a phone call between the two leaders, Draghi’s office said.
Reporting by Andreas Rinke Writing by Madeline Chambers Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Alistair Bell