Kremlin spokesperson: Other EU countries may be cut of Russian natural gas
April 28, 2022, 7:21 am

Kremlin spokesperson: Other EU countries may be cut of Russian natural gas

A Russian flag flying next to the US embassy building in Moscow. (AFP)

The We For News reported, according to The Guardian, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has warned that other European Union customers may be cut off from Russian natural gas supplies if they refuse to pay in rouble.

His comments came after Russia halted gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria, a move that European leaders denounced as “blackmail”.

In a memo, the state-controlled Russian giant Gazprom said that it was cutting Poland and Bulgaria off its natural gas supply chain because they refused to pay in Russian rouble, in line with a decree issued last month by President Vladimir Putin.

Gazprom said it did not receive any such payment since the beginning of the month.

Speaking to reporters, Peskov said: “Russia was and remains a reliable supplier of energy resources to its consumers and remains committed to its contractual obligations.

Other European Union customers may be cut off from Russian natural gas supplies if they refuse to pay in rouble (Photo: Pixabay)

“When the payment deadlines approach, if some consumers decline to pay under the new system, the president’s decree of course will be applied.”

The Guardian reported that when asked whether Russia is ready for the budget losses it could sustain if European countries decline to pay for gas in rouble, Peskov replied, “Everything has been calculated, all risks have been forecast and necessary measures taken."

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Chancellor Karl Nehammer announced on Wednesday (Apr 27) that Austria has accepted the new rouble gas payment mechanism, introduced by Russia earlier this month, and will abide by it.

According to RT, Nehammer said at a press conference: “We, i.e., [state energy company] OMV, accepted the terms of payment, as did the German government. They [the terms] were found to be in line with the terms of the sanctions. For us, this was important."

However, he added that Austria still supports Ukraine-related anti-Russia sanctions.

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He stressed: “Before the fake news of Russian propaganda steps in, of course, OMV continues to pay for gas supplies from Russia in euros. Austria adheres to the point of view and supports the jointly-adopted EU sanctions."

According to the official, Austrian oil and gas company OMV has already opened an appropriate account with a Russian bank for transferring payments.

Nehammer noted that during his recent trip to Moscow, Putin had explained the new payment mechanism and assured him of further gas supplies in full.

Russia to suspend natural gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria from April 27

It should be noted that on March 31, Putin had signed a decree that defined a new procedure for paying for Russian gas supplies by buyers from ‘unfriendly’ countries, which placed sanctions on Moscow in response to its military operation in Ukraine.

Source: wefornews

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

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