Russian gas threat: Will Putin cut Europe off if payments aren't made in roubles?
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.
Russian gas is crucial for the EU, which since the Russian invasion has been accelerating its search to shed its dependence and find alternative energy sources.
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
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