European People’s Party (EPP) leader Donald Tusk accuses Austria, Hungary and Germany of entering the “ruble zone” to pay for Russian gas. The information was released by the Spanish news agency Europa Press on Wednesday. The former president of the EU Council and former Polish prime minister criticized that these countries are willing to pay for Russian gas supplies in rubles, as Moscow demands.
“I heard that not only Hungary, but also Austria and Germany are willing to pay for Russian gas in rubles,” Tusk wrote in a statement on social media. “Are you still in the eurozone or the ruble zone?” he joked after Russia stopped supplying gas to Poland and Bulgaria. They refused to pay in rubles.
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Polish Environment Minister Anna Moskwa also criticized Germany, Austria and Hungary on Polish television and called for “consequences” for these countries.
FT: Swiss account
With their allegations, Polish politicians are apparently referring to media reports that the German energy supplier Uniper, for example, but also the Austrian OMV want to make their payments for Russian gas in euros in the future, but to their own accounts in the Gazprombank, where euro payments are made, are immediately converted into rubles. For example, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing unnamed sources, that OMV wanted to open a ruble account with Gazprombank in Switzerland to pay for Russian gas supplies.
In the context of sanctions against the country, Russia will in the future demand payment of gas bills in rubles. However, the new payment terms proposed by Russia provide for the possibility of depositing the money in Gazprombank in euros and then converting it into rubles.
Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) said on Wednesday that gas deliveries to Austria will flow unrestricted and that OMV will continue to pay in euros. According to Nehammer, OMV accepted the Russian conditions. An OMV spokesperson did not want to go that far today regarding the APA. Gazprom’s proposal has been received and verified and a sanctions-compliant solution is being worked out, it said at the request.
Von der Leyen warns
On Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned companies buying gas from Russia against giving in to the Kremlin’s “blackmail” and paying for delivery in rubles, although this is not stipulated in the purchase contracts. This is a violation of European sanctions because of the war in Ukraine.
In response to Moscow’s decision to stop power supplies to Poland and Bulgaria, von der Leyen announced an “immediate, unanimous and coordinated response” from the EU. (apa, dpa, Reuters)