Valves are pictured at the Atamanskaya compressor station, part of Gazprom’s Power of Siberia project, outside the far eastern city of Svobodny in the Amur region, Russia, November 29, 2019. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov.
- Russia will decide on gas payment mechanism by Thursday
- EU countries are still at odds over how to pay in rubles
- The G7 countries refuse to pay for Russian gas in rubles
March 28 – Russia said on Monday it would not supply free gas to Europe as it is working out methods of accepting payments for its gas exports in rubles, but the G7 countries rejected the demand.
A meeting of European Union leaders on Friday failed to agree on a common position on Russia’s demand last week that “unfriendly” countries pay for its gas in rubles, not euros, after the United States and European allies have joined forces in a series of sanctions against Russia. Continue reading
Concerns about security of supply were heightened after demand, with companies and EU states scrambling to understand the implications.
The Central Bank of Russia, the government and Gazprom (GAZP.MM), which accounts for 40% of Europe’s gas imports, should submit their proposals for ruble gas payments to President Vladimir Putin by March 31.
“We will not supply gas for free, that’s clear,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a conference call. “In our situation, it is hardly possible and appropriate to get involved in charities (with European customers).”
Russia will make decisions in due course should European countries refuse to pay in Russian currency, he added.
The energy ministers of the group of seven industrial nations are now rejecting the ruble payment demands, said Federal Economics and Climate Protection Minister Robert Habeck after talks with his counterparts. Continue reading
“All G7 ministers agree that this is a unilateral and clear violation of existing treaties,” he told reporters after a virtual conference with G7 energy ministers.
The ministers “emphasised once again that the concluded contracts are valid and companies should and must respect them… Payment in rubles is unacceptable and we call on the companies concerned not to comply with Putin’s request,” he said.
ENERGY SECURITY
Dutch and UK wholesale gas prices rose by as much as 20% on Monday amid concerns over Russia’s gas supplies.
The EU aims to reduce its dependence on Russian gas by two-thirds this year and end Russian fossil fuel imports by 2027. Russian gas exports to the EU last year totaled around 155 billion cubic meters (bcm).
On Friday, the United States announced it will work to ship 15 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the European Union this year. Continue reading
US LNG plants are producing at full capacity and analysts say most of the additional US gas sent to Europe would have to come from exports that would have gone elsewhere.
Russian lawmaker Ivan Abramov said a G7 refusal to pay for Russian gas in rubles would result in a clear halt to supplies, according to the RIA news agency.
Abramov sits on the economic policy committee of the Federation Council, the upper chamber of the Russian parliament.
The German Habeck called Russia “an unreliable energy supplier”.
Asked what will happen if Russia stops gas supplies, he added: “We are prepared for all scenarios and not just since yesterday.”
However, the EU will struggle to replace all Russian gas exports in a short period of time, experts said. Continue reading
Russian gas supplies to Europe on three main pipeline routes were stable on Monday, with the Yamal-Europe pipeline continuing to flow eastward from Germany to Poland, operator data showed. Continue reading
Russia’s Gazprom (GAZP.MM) said it will continue to supply natural gas to Europe via Ukraine, in line with requests from European consumers.
Reuters reporting; writing by Nina Chestney; Edited by Robert Birsel and David Evans