on Thursday, March 31, requiring foreign buyers of Russian gas to open rouble accounts in state-run Gazprombank from Friday or else risk being cut off.
“If things remained like this, all in all not a lot would change,” Italy’s Ecology Transition Minister Roberto Cingolani told state broadcaster RAI.relies on Russia for more than a third of its gas“Working closely with member states and operators. EU coordination today to establish a common approach on currency payments for gas contracts with Russia,” European Commission Energy Division Director General Ditte Juul Jorgenesen tweeted.
Although energy exports are Putin’s most powerful lever against sweeping Western sanctions, his room for maneuver is also limited because Moscow does not have alternative markets for its gas, which is piped to Europe.