Russian President Vladimir Putin has met with German Prime Minister Scholtz and Italian Prime Minister Dragi on the phone one after another, calling on countries designated by Russia to be unfriendly to pay for the purchase of natural gas in the currency ruble. We discussed the issue.
Of these, in a statement by a German government spokesman, Putin will ask for payment in the ruble from April, but European contractors will continue to pay in euros, remittances to Russian banks, and then the Russian side. He explained that he would be exchanged for rubles.
President Putin cited the Russian bank "Gazprombank," which is not subject to EU-European sanctions and is used for energy transactions, as a remittance destination.
Prime Minister Olaf Scholz did not agree at the meeting and asked for a detailed explanation in writing.
Also, according to Italian government officials, Putin can pay in euros if an Italian company opens a euro-denominated account in "Gazprombank" at the meeting with Prime Minister Draghi, and then on the Russian side. He told me that he would be exchanged for the ruble.
The official did not reveal how Draghi responded.
On the other hand, according to the Russian Presidential Administration, Putin only announced that he had told him to pay in the ruble at each talk, and it is unclear how Putin's explanation will affect this issue.