cupid_stunt
Chief seagull hater & farmerbarleymow's nemesis.
* Unless Putin is having a laugh.
So, today's the deadline for Europe and other "unfriendly" countries to start paying for Russian gas in roubles, or the gas supply will be cut, certainly some countries are refusing to do so, insisting they will continue to pay in euros, as per their contracts.
The big question is will he actually do it?
My gut feeling is yes, because he's going to look bloody stupid if he doesn't, but some countries and companies may decide to switch payments to roubles, so here's a thread to discuss the fall out of the situation as it unfolds.
So, today's the deadline for Europe and other "unfriendly" countries to start paying for Russian gas in roubles, or the gas supply will be cut, certainly some countries are refusing to do so, insisting they will continue to pay in euros, as per their contracts.
The big question is will he actually do it?
My gut feeling is yes, because he's going to look bloody stupid if he doesn't, but some countries and companies may decide to switch payments to roubles, so here's a thread to discuss the fall out of the situation as it unfolds.
Vladimir Putin has said buyers of Russian gas from "unfriendly" countries will have to pay in roubles from accounts in Russia from Friday, or face the "consequences".
"They must open accounts in roubles in Russian banks. And from these accounts they will have to pay for the gas delivered and that as of tomorrow," the Russian leader declared on television after signing a decree. In the event of refusal, “the current contracts will be stopped,” he added.
"If these payments are not made, it will be considered as a breach of obligations on the part of the buyer, and this will have all the necessary consequences."
Moscow published a list of "unfriendly" countries in early March, which includes the United States, members of the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, Taiwan, South Korea, Norway and Australia.
Western companies and governments have rejected the move as a breach of existing contracts, which are set in euros or dollars.
European countries will continue to pay for Russian gas in euros and dollars as it is "written in the contracts", was German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's response to Putin on Thursday.
"I made it clear to the Russian president that it would stay that way" and "companies want to be able to pay in euros and will do so," he said during a news conference with his Austrian counterpart, Karl Nehammer.
German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said Russia had not been able to divide Europe and said Western allies were determined to not be "blackmailed" by Russia.
France echoed the German stance. "The contracts provide for a currency in which they are executed and therefore the contracts must be executed in the currency provided," French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on a visit to the German capital.
Several German and other European companies with Russian contracts had no immediate comment.
Neither Poland's PGNiG nor the government commented immediately. There was no word either from Italian energy firm Eni, another major European buyer of Russian gas.
Will Putin cut Europe off if gas payments aren't made in roubles?
Moscow says its demand for "unfriendly" buyers to pay for gas in roubles does not mean supplies will be immediately interrupted.
www.euronews.com