EU Commission President: Russia Will Not Be Allowed to Demand Payments in Rubles for Fuel

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced that Russian oil and gas companies will not be permitted to demand payment in rubles for fuel, as this would constitute a significant violation of the sanctions regime.

“Such a decision would be unilateral, which violates the terms of the transaction. This is essentially an attempt to circumvent the sanctions. We did not impose sanctions to have them circumvented,” she stated.

Earlier, Latvia declared that it would not purchase gas from Russia in rubles, as the contract stipulates that “payment must be made in euros only.”

The Prime Minister of Slovenia, Janez Janša, was even more succinct, stating, “No one in Europe will pay for gas in rubles.”