The European Union does not change its position on Gazprom's payments.
Gazprom is trying to convince European buyers that Paying for Russian gas in rubles will not violate the sanctions regime against Russia. The European Union has clarified that it has not changed its position and considers the mechanism a violation. This was stated by EU Climate Spokesman Tim McPhee during a briefing on Thursday.
The European Commission analyzed Gazprom's words and arguments and did not change its position – paying for blue fuel in rubles violates economic sanctions against the Central Bank. “The Commission will also update its recommendations, and we are continuing negotiations with all member states to clarify the situation,” McPhee said. At the same time, the EC representative did not provide clear deadlines for when the updated recommendations will be published. However, he stressed that the position of the bloc remains unchanged.
Read also: FT: EU energy companies are preparing to pay Russia for gas in rubles
Recall that ten more European companies have opened accounts in Russia Gazprombank to pay for Russian gas in rubles, doubling the total number of “customers” who are preparing to pay in rubles for Russian gas, as demanded by Kremlin President Vladimir Putin.
