According to the Kremlin, the conversion of payments for Russian gas supplies to Europe from euros and dollars to rubles will not come into effect on Thursday. Gas delivery and payment are separate processes, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. President Vladimir Putin’s instruction to switch to ruble payments is not yet valid for this Thursday.
Putin wants to meet with representatives of the Russian gas giant Gazprom and the central bank on the day to be informed about the current state of affairs. The announced meeting and the refusal of Western countries to switch to the ruble had triggered fears in Europe that Russia could quickly stop gas supplies. Peskow had also said that if you didn’t pay, there would be no gas; Russia is not a charity. Russia wants to switch to ruble payments because of Western sanctions in the wake of the war in Ukraine because, according to Putin, the country can no longer do anything with euros and dollars. (apa/dpa)