Opening an account with Gazprombank, the structure where Russia wants rubles for its natural gas, could be a violation of sanctions against that country. A senior official of the European Union said this on Thursday.
Hungary said it had complied with Russia’s request to pay in rubles for imported Russian gas. In effect, this means that countries and companies have to open two accounts with the Russian bank Gazprom, after which the currency used to pay has to be converted into rubles.
According to Russia, the payment will then be made in rubles, complying with the decree issued by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the end of March. In doing so, the country is taking “revenge” on what Putin calls “enemy countries”.
The EU official said the opening of a ruble account by gas importers appears “on the face of it” to violate sanctions imposed on Russia over the war with Ukraine.
The European Commission has no official indication yet that this is actually happening. Gazprom announced on Wednesday that the national gas companies of Poland and Bulgaria will no longer buy gas because they refuse to open a ruble account.
Greece said it would make its next payment to Gazprom on May 25 in a manner that would not violate sanctions, but that the country’s gas supply was secure. Also, the country will use construction through the Gazprom bank.
Source: NU
John Cameron is a journalist at The Nation View specializing in world news and current events, particularly in international politics and diplomacy. With expertise in international relations, he covers a range of topics including conflicts, politics and economic trends.
