Posted on 03/30/2022 8:24:47 PM PDT by Cronos
The German government said that Russian President Vladimir Putin told Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday that Europe could continue paying for Russian gas in euros and not rubles as previously announced.
German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said Putin had told Scholz that payments from Europe next month "would continue to be in euros and transferred as usual to the Gazprom Bank, which is not affected by sanctions."
The bank would then convert the payments into rubles, Hebestreit quoted Putin as saying.
Hebestreit said in a statement that Putin had stressed in the telephone call with Scholz "which took place at his (Putin's) request", that "nothing would change for European contract partners" when the new system takes effect on April 1.
"Chancellor Scholz did not agree to this procedure but asked for information in writing to better understand this procedure," Hebestreit said.
"What the G7 agreed stands: energy deliveries will be exclusively paid for in euros or dollars as it states in the contracts."
The Kremlin had earlier released its own readout of the conversation saying that Putin had told Scholz that Moscow's demand that Europe switch to paying for gas in rubles should not "lead to worsening of contractual terms for European importer companies."
Putin said last week that Moscow would begin only accepting rubles as payment for natural gas deliveries to "unfriendly" countries, including the members of the European Union.
He said the payment method was needed because the Russian central bank's currency reserves have been frozen by the EU.
Germany on Wednesday raised the alert level under its emergency gas plan over fears that Russia could cut off supplies if Western countries refused to make the payments in rubles.
Austria announced that it was following suit.
Speaking on behalf of the G7 energy ministers, Germany's Robert Habeck said Monday that Russia's request was a "unilateral and clear breach of the existing agreements."
Habeck said payments in rubles were "unacceptable" and called on energy companies not to comply with Putin's demand.
The Kremlin said Wednesday that Russia would not immediately require its natural gas buyers to pay in rubles.
"Payments and deliveries are a time-consuming process," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"It's not like... what will be delivered tomorrow, must be paid for by the evening."
On Thursday, the Russian government, its central bank and energy giant Gazprom are expected to present Putin with a new gas payment system that will be conducted in rubles.
German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said Putin had told Scholz that payments from Europe next month "would continue to be in euros and transferred as usual to the Gazprom Bank, which is not affected by sanctions."
The bank would then convert the payments into rubles, Hebestreit quoted Putin as saying.
Of course idgits on Twitter immediately started screaming about sanctioning Gazprom...
But, they're double-digit mouthbreathers on Twitter.
Why would we sanction Gazprom? It’s where Crackhead Hunter goes to get quick Russian cash and prostitutes.
The Duran is gonna be entertaining tomorrow.
So, same as it was before. Germany buy energy from Russia. I guess the sanctions have no teeth.
they don’t have the gold, and he doesn’t have the rubbles
Sacre bleu! No Ten Percent for The Big Guy, either!
Hmmm… let’s see. The USA has a public national debt of over 120% of GDP and it’s climbing rapidly. Russia has a public national debt of a little over 17% of their GDP and it hasn’t been climbing.
So we “sanction” Russia to make it very difficult for them to import goods. Consequently their imports will certainly plunge. While they’re not sending out as much of their wealth to pay for imports they continue to have rivers of Euros and Dollars flowing in to pay for record high priced petroleum and natural gas. Sanctions prevent them from borrowing new money as they pay down or pay off their existing national debt.
Sounds like Russia’s current situation would meet with the approval of DAVE RAMSEY!
“I guess the sanctions have no teeth.”
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I wouldn’t say that as they’ve been causing Americans enough pain. And the food shortage price pain is going to get even worse.
But we gotta keep the Uke’s Nazi army well fed and well armed so the beacon of freedom and democracy that we pledge allegiance to - known as “Ukraine” - shall not perish from the face of the earth.
The big guy is too old to cash in on 10% of the prostitutes.
The prostitutes are too old for the big guy.
Know what Joe likes about twenty seven year olds?
There's twenty of them....
Germany will get a better deal when it starts getting LNG from the US (if AOC allows it)
Mre likely, he's honoring contracts while letting Europe know the Axe has fallen, and they've cut off their own heads.
Putin can, and will, demand Rubles on the spot market and all future contracts, and Europe will have no choice and no redress or stalling in court.
Russia has a flat tax, too, like several Eastern European nations.
Just replace Russian supplies as quickly as possible, and send enough weaponry for the Ukrainians to expel the last Russian soldier.
That murdering thieving bastard (Putin) deserves nothing but death.
He needs to be put down like a rabid dog. Otherwise he will just remain a danger to all.
Is Soros involved in these currency games?
Russian’s boasting they don’t have a national debt is the same as a homeless guy boasting about how he doesn’t have a mortgage.
“Russian’s boasting they don’t have a national debt is the same as a homeless guy boasting about how he doesn’t have a mortgage.”
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I didn’t see any boasting. I simply went online to check the national debt of the respective countries and was surprised at Russia’s relatively small debt. They live within their means apparently and that’s not a bad thing to do. I wish America’s leaders had the same discipline.
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