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• Gazprom pipeline supplies about 40% of Europe’s gas requirements which transits via Poland and Bulgaria
• Germany’s Uniper said it could pay Russia in Ruble without any violations
The European Commission on Wednesday has accused Moscow of blackmail after Russia’s state-owned energy corporation Gazprom stopped supplying gas to Poland and Bulgaria.
Gazprom on Wednesday tweeted that it has halted “gas supplies to Bulgaria’s Bulgargaz and Poland’s PGNiG due to their failure to pay in rubles.”
Russia, which is embroiled in sanctions by the United States and Europe as acts of economic war, on April 1, has asked nations who pay for Russian gas imports in Euros or Dollars to create accounts with Gazprombank and pay in Rubles.
The state-controlled gas pipeline supplies about 40% of Europe’s gas requirements to Germany, Hungary, and Serbia, which transits via Poland and Bulgaria.
Germany, Europe’s industrial powerhouse, in 2021 alone relied on more than 50% of gas from Russia.
Gazprom, in a statement, warned Poland and Bulgaria against any “unauthorized withdrawal” of gas supplies flowing through their territories.
“Bulgaria and Poland are transit states. In case of unauthorized withdrawal of Russian gas from transit volumes to third countries, supplies for transit will be reduced by this volume.”
Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Kiril Petkov described the move as “blackmail” and said any supply halt would be a breach of contract.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed accusations that Moscow was using its gas supplies to blackmail the European nations, saying Russia was a reliable energy supplier, Reuters reported.
EU has also said the gas buyers can pay for gas in Ruble provided certain conditions are met.
Germany’s leading importer, Uniper, said it could pay without violations.
The report said Peskov declined to say how many countries had agreed to switch to paying for gas in Rubles.
Picture Credit: Reuters
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