EU countries should impose sanctions on Russian oil, gas and coal, which constitute the "oxygen" for Putin's war machine in Ukraine. This is what Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki says.
- The sanctions should be as severe as possible. This is the only way we can stop the war, says Mateusz Morawiecki.
The call from the Polish Prime Minister comes on the anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. EU leaders are gathering for a summit in Brussels, while concerns are growing that Russian President Putin will use weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine.
On Thursday, the Russian President also caused a stir with the announcement that Russia will in future only accept payments for gas from "unfriendly countries" in rubles. The ruble is the Russian currency. It has been in free fall since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The "unfriendly countries" include the entire EU, which is highly dependent on Russian gas. The Russian move comes as a result of Western sanctions against the country following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Immediately after Putin's announcement, the ruble strengthened against the dollar and the euro, while the price of gas rose.
Should be rejected outright
The Polish Prime Minister believes that Putin's demand should be rejected outright. And this is most effectively done through sanctions on Russian energy.
- The sooner we understand that Russia's sales of oil, gas and coal are the oxygen for the Russian war machine, the better. Russia is trying to ward off the rest of the world's reaction to the war. The Russian stock exchange has reopened, and Russia is trying to force the EU to pay for gas and oil in rubles. We must reject that, says Mateusz Morawiecki.
Putin emphasizes that Russia will continue to meet its obligations to supply gas. He has ordered Russia's central bank to put the new payment system in place within a week.
- The changes will only affect the currency of payment, which will be changed to Russian rubles, Putin says.
Breach of contract
Analysts see the move as an attempt to strengthen the ruble. It could get a boost if, for example, EU countries have to pay with the Russian currency. However, there is no way around that. Several EU countries believe that Russia's demands are a breach of contract.
The German Economy Minister, Robert Habeck, says that Germany will discuss with European partners how to respond to the Russian announcement.
The US has banned imports of Russian gas and oil. But the EU has continued to receive energy from Russia while the war has been going on. This is because the EU is increasingly dependent on Russian energy sources. Around 40 percent of the EU's gas consumption in 2021 came from Russia.
Ritzau
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