Putin instructed to transfer payment for gas for unfriendly countries into rubles “in the shortest possible time.” He explained this decision by the need to “refuse in such calculations from currencies that have compromised themselves.” At the same time, the president stressed that the changes will affect only the currency of payment, but will not affect the process and volumes of deliveries, as well as pricing.
The Russian government updated the list of unfriendly countries in early March. It includes Ukraine, the USA, all EU countries, Canada, Australia, Japan, Norway, San Marino and other states.
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After that, the G7 countries (“big seven”) and the EU states informed Russia that they refused to pay for deliveries in Russian currency. Some European companies, in particular, the Lithuanian Ignitis Grupe, which exports part of the gas through Gazprom, announced plans to stop purchases. In turn, Alfred Stern, director of the Austrian OMV, one of Gazprom’s main partners in Europe, said that the current contracts do not provide for the possibility of changing the settlement currency, so the company will continue to pay Gazprom for gas in euros.
Peskov, in response, addressed the partners with the words “no payment – no gas.” Russia will not supply gas for free if Europe refuses to pay for deliveries in rubles, he said. At the same time, the press secretary acknowledged that the transition to rubles when paying for gas can be “extended over time.”
According to RBC sources, Russia has offered buyers from unfriendly countries a new scheme involving the opening of a ruble account in a Russian bank. Reuters wrote that a scheme is being discussed under which payment can be made in euros in ruble equivalent at the Central Bank rate on a certain day, while the contract currency will remain unchanged, but the payment currency will change.