Leaders of the world’s leading economies have rejected Russian demand that they buy energy imports in rubles, Germany’s economics and climate minister Minister Robert Habeck said Monday.
Following an online meeting with the G7 energy ministers, Habeck told reporters that such an arrangement would be a “one-sided and clear breach of existing contracts.” Speaking after an online gathering of energy ministers from the G-7 countries, and said the NATO allies will not to comply with Putin’s demand, The Washington Post reports.
The announcement comes after Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier in the day that Moscow was working out ways of taking payments in rubles.
Since the war in Ukraine began, European countries have made rapid moves to wean themselves off Russian energy imports.
France is trying to obtain additional gas and oil supplies from the Gulf states in lieu of deliveries from Russia, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Monday.
The action from France and other European nations prompted could put harm Russia’s economy further and send them on a desperate quest to try to fill part of the gap from lower demand in Europe by increasing oil exports to Asia.
Read it at The Washington Post.
