France’s ‘No’ After Russia, Hit By Sanctions, Seeks Gas Payments In Ruble

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Brussels: French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday fired Russian President Vladimir Putin’s request for Europe to pay gas in the ruble as he accused Moscow trying to avoid sanctions on his war in Ukraine.

Macron told reporters after the UE peak in Brussels that the Russian step “was not in line with what was signed, and I did not see why we applied it”.

Putin submitted a request this week when Moscow struggled to support his economy in the face of weakening sanctions imposed by the West for His invasion to Ukraine.

Macron said that “We continued our analysis work” following the Kremlin maneuver.

But he insisted “all the text signed clearly: It is prohibited. So European players who buy gas and those in Europe must do it in Euro”.

“Because it’s impossible today to do what is requested, and it’s not a contractual,” he said.

The Frenchman said he believed Moscow used steps as “mechanism to avoid” EU sanctions against him for attacks on Ukraine.

Germany’s main gas buyers have condemned the steps and Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday reiterated that the contract clearly determined how gas must be paid.

Europe scrambles to reduce its dependence on Russian gas. It continues to channel hundreds of millions of euros every day to Moscow in energy payments, which are currently outside the scope of sanctions.