The Russian leader said money would be paid into Gazprom Bank, which is not a subject of sanctions, and then transferred in rubles to Russia, according to a German statement.
Germanyโs government said on Wednesdayย it has received assurances from Russia that Europe would notย have to pay for Russian gas supplies in rubles.
Olaf Scholzโs office said Russian President Vladimir Putin told the German Chancellor that European companies could continue payingย in euros or dollars.
In a phone call with Scholz, Putin said the money would be paid into Gazprom Bank and then transferred in rubles to Russia, a German statement said. The bank is not currentlyย subject toย sanctions.
โScholzย did not agree to this procedure in the conversation, but asked for written information to better understand the procedure,โ the statement added.
Demand for ruble payments rejected
Putin said last week that Moscow wouldย only accept rubles as paymentย for gas deliveries to โunfriendlyโ countries, includingย European Union nations.
According to a Kremlin statement, Putin told Scholz that โthe decision taken should not lead to worsening of contractual terms for European importer companies.โ
He also sought to justifyย Russiaโs demands for ruble payments, saying thatย โin violation of the norms of international law, the foreign exchange reserves of the Bank of Russia were frozen by the member states of the European Union.โ
The Kremlin said the two leaders agreed that experts from each country would hold further discussions on the matter.
Crisis team to monitor gas supplies from Russia to Germany โ Watch video
G7 countries have rejected Moscowโsย demand to pay for gas in rubles, describing it as aย breach of contract.
Germany on Wednesdayย triggered an emergency planย to manage gas supplies that could see Europeโs largest economyย ration powerย if a standoff over a Russian demand to pay for fuel with roubles disrupts or haltedย supplies. Just hours after Berlinโs announcement, Austria also said it was activating an emergencyย alert over its gas supply.ย
