The Kremlin: Payment of the price of Russian gas in rubles will not start exactly tomorrow
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the ruble payment process for Russian natural gas exported to countries classified as "unfriendly to Russia" will not start exactly tomorrow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had instructed the Cabinet, the Central Bank and "Gazprom" to take the necessary measures to change the currency of payment for gas supplies to the ruble by March 31, that is, tomorrow.
Asked if the new rules would come into force tomorrow, Peskov replied: "No, not at all."
"We discussed that, and there is a time lag between the arrival of the supplies and the receipt of the payments," he added.
The Russian agency "Interfax" quoted him as saying: "It cannot be portrayed that gas will be delivered tomorrow and it must be paid for (immediately in rubles). The matter extends for a longer period for purely technical reasons."
He indicated that the mechanism for payments denominated in rubles for Russian gas will be announced.
In the end, Peskov said, "there are presidential directives, and they will be implemented."
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