Photo: ALEXANDER NEMENOV / AFP / Getty Images
By: Real America News Updated 28 Sea 2022 , 28: 30 pm EDT
The G7 economy ministers agreed in describing as “unacceptable” the requirement of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, that gas supplies and other energy sources are paid in rubles .
“All the ministers agreed that demanding payment in rubles constitutes a violation of existing contracts. A payment in rubles is unacceptable and we ask companies to reject Putin’s request”, said German Minister Robert Habeck after a digital conference with his colleagues.
This year Germany holds the rotating presidency of the group of countries that brings together the main world economic powers.
On the other hand, Habeck said that Putin’s demand can be seen as a symptom that the sanctions on the Russian central bank that prevent currency trade with other countries íses have it “against the wall”.
“The Putin’s demand that gas be paid for in rubles is proof that he is up against the wall“, said Habeck.
Germany has been one of the most reluctant countries to include the energy sector in the sanctions against Russia in the Ukraine war.
The 60 percent of the gas that is consumed in Germany is imported from Russia and Habeck today reiterated the need to break that dependency.
“ We have to break the dependency on Russian gas, oil and coal. Russia is no longer a reliable supplier and it is also creating geopolitical turmoil”, said Habeck.
Asked about whether Germany was prepared for an eventual interruption of Russian gas supplies, the minister said that there were preparations “for any scenario and not only now but since the end of the previous year”.
kyiv thanks the G7 for refusing to pay in rubles
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba today thanked the G7 powers for their decision of declaring “unacceptable” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demand that imports of gas and other sources of energy to Russia be paid in rubles.
“I thank the German Vice Chancellor, Robert Habeck, for rejecting that demand,” Kuleba said on his twitter account, where he expresses his gratitude. France, Italy, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, in addition to Germany, the G7 countries, as well as the whole of the European Union (EU).
With Efe information.
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