At least 10 European buyers have agreed to pay for Russian natural gas in rubles. They have done so by opening accounts in Gazprombank, as required by the Russian government. This is reported by the news outlet Bloomberg.
A source close to Gazprom says that four of the customers have already made payments in rubles. No countries or gas importers are mentioned by name.
Russia has announced that it is cutting off gas to Poland and Bulgaria because the two countries do not pay in rubles. The EU says it only has contracts for Russian gas in euros and dollars. They call it an attempt at blackmail by President Vladimir Putin.
With the demand for payment in rubles, Russia wants to support the Russian currency, which is under heavy pressure from international sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine.
The source tells Bloomberg that it will probably not be until the second half of May that gas to several Russian customers will be cut off. In case they don't want to pay in rubles.
Ritzau
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