ロシアのガス代金をめぐる紛争 俄然し烈に

さてロシアと欧州との経済面での対決が面白くなってきました。ドルやユーロが使えなくなったからルーブルでガス代金を払えというロシアに対して、G7が契約違反であり、ルーブルでは払わないと返答しました。そうなればロシアは代金不払いでガスを止めます。ドイツはどうする気？
面白くなってきました。
ルーブル支払い拒否回答
　↓
ガス供給停止
　↓
ドイツをはじめとする欧州の経済活動に大打撃。
そうなる前に、何らかの妥協があるでしょうが、ロシアは経済制裁の全面的解除を要求しないと述べています。強気です。ガスのストップもありうることになります。

［１日　ロイター］ - ロシア外務省当局者は１日、欧州連合（ＥＵ）に制裁終了を要請するつもりないと発言し、ロシアには「十分な安全性」があるとの認識を示した。ロシア通信（ＲＩＡ）が伝えた。
外務省のニコライ・コブリネッツ欧州協力局長は「ＥＵは宇宙の中心ではない」と述べた。

Germany rejects Putin's demand to pay for gas in rubles, calling it an unacceptable breach of contract that amounts to blackmail - REU

— BNO News (@BNONews) March 31, 2022

［ベルリン　３１日　ロイター］
関係筋によると、法令は４月１日以降に供給されるガスが対象。署名された法令によると、外国の買い手は国営天然ガス企業ガスプロム傘下のガスプロムバンクの特別口座を通して支払いを行う必要がある。
ある関係者はロイターに対し、４月に供給されたガスへの支払いは、一部の契約では４月後半に、その他の契約では５月に開始されることから、すぐに供給が滞ることにはならないと指摘した。

BIG BANG

"A clear and transparent scheme."

"Open ruble accounts in Russian banks."

"If such payments are not made, we will consider this a default."

"Nobody sells us anything for free, and we are not going to do charity work. That is, existing contracts will be stopped". pic.twitter.com/NAqjGSiSgY

— Pepe Escobar (@RealPepeEscobar) March 31, 2022

OFFER YOU CAN'T REFUSE UPDATE

Putin's face-saving offer to Scholz:

Germany pays for gas in euros to Gazprombank - which converts them to rubles.

So Gazprombank cannot - and won't - be sanctioned.

— Pepe Escobar (@RealPepeEscobar) March 31, 2022

The EU verbally refused to pay for gas in rubles, as Putin demanded, but in fact began to quietly buy up rubles, which resulted in the strengthening of the Russian currency by 21% in just a few days. The EU is circumventing the sanctions that it itself imposed. pic.twitter.com/ZWEtE83gXf

— StranNik142857 (@StranNik142857) March 30, 2022

ロシアルーブルは戻り歩調。1ドル131.5ルーブルまでルーブルが安くなりましたが3/28は90.875ルーブル。

The first payment for gas in rubles today was made by Istituto per le Opere di Religione (the Central Bank of the Vatican), having bought 10 million euros worth of rubles from the Central Bank.

— Richard Novation (@NovationRichard) March 28, 2022

President Putin instructs govt, Central Bank and Gazprom to implement measures to transfer payments for gas with ‘unfriendly countries’ to rubles by March 31 pic.twitter.com/Rj86WO5yPR

— RT (@RT_com) March 28, 2022

Russia sets ruble gas payment deadline
President Putin says ‘unfriendly countries’ must switch to its currency by March 31
Russian President Vladimir Putin has authorized the government, the central bank, and Gazprombank to take the necessary steps to switch all payments for Russian natural gas from “unfriendly states” to rubles starting March 31.

The measure targets “member states of the EU and other countries that have introduced restrictions against citizens of the Russian Federation and Russian legal entities,” the mandate published on the Kremlin website reads.

Russia will stop shipping natural gas to countries refusing to settle payments in rubles, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

The decision, first announced last week, came as Russia’s oil trade has been left in disarray as importers put orders on hold due to the latest sanctions introduced against Moscow over its military operation in Ukraine.
The conflict in Ukraine and the anti-Russia sanctions that followed have raised concerns of a global economic crisis. Skyrocketing commodity prices are sending the costs of consumer goods, energy, and food ever higher, giving rise to fears of a possible recession in many countries and even hunger in some parts of the world.

Russia’s decision to switch payments to its domestic currency has been made in response to the unprecedented penalties imposed by the US and its allies on the country’s financial system.

The ruble plummeted to record lows after Western nations and Japan blocked Russia’s access to some of its international reserves. Since last week’s currency-switch announcement, the ruble has reached its strongest level against the US dollar and the euro in nearly a month.

G7 rejects Russian demand to pay for gas in rubles – German energy minister
Bloc sees payment switch as breach of current contracts
The Group of Seven major economies have collectively agreed to reject Moscow’s demand to pay for energy imports from Russia in rubles, according to Germany’s energy minister Robert Habeck.

“All G-7 ministers agreed completely that this (would be) a one-sided and clear breach of the existing contracts,” Habeck told journalists on Monday.

The minister added that “payment in ruble is not acceptable” and that the nations will urge the companies affected "not to follow” the demand voiced by Russian President Vladimir Putin last week.

On Monday, the Russian president ordered the government, the central bank, and Gazprombank to develop the necessary tools to switch all payments for Russian natural gas from “unfriendly states” to rubles starting March 31.

This includes countries that have targeted Russia's financial system and seized its foreign reserves in response to the crisis in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russia will stop shipping natural gas to countries rejecting the demand.

That’s it then. Let them whistle.

— George Galloway (@georgegalloway) March 28, 2022

turn off the gas!

— preston eli (@prestoneli2) March 28, 2022

the outside world for eons were of the opinion these are leaders of The free world but now are concluding that they're not that smart.

— majid remtula (@majidrem) March 28, 2022

India about to switch to domestic currencies in trade with Russia
A mechanism bypassing the US dollar is expected to be operational this week
A system allowing direct rupee-ruble payments in trade between Russia and India could be launched this week, the president of the Federation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO), A Sakthivel, told CNBC on Wednesday. The arrangement would allow India and Russia to carry out financial operations bypassing the US dollar. Russia is effectively blocked from using US currency due to Western sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine.

According to the official, the Indian government is working on a proposal to allow up to five nationalized Indian banks to be engaged in the rupee-ruble trade mechanism, and discussions between the central bank governor, the finance minister, and the banks on the matter have already been held. The arrangement would let Indian exporters continue doing business with Russia despite sanctions banning, among other things, international payment mechanisms in the country, such as SWIFT. It would also let India continue buying Russian energy exports and other goods.

According to Sakthivel, the Indian economy could profit from sanctions Russia is facing, as they give Indian exporters an opportunity to expand on the Russian market.

“Export to Russia is not much, only in agriculture and pharmacy products. Now that the whole of the West is banning Russia, there will be a lot of opportunities for Indian firms to enter Russia,” he stated.

India’s finance ministry and the Reserve Bank of India have not yet commented on the new trade arrangement.

Unlike the US and the EU, India has not criticized Russia over its military operation in Ukraine, and has abstained from condemning Moscow during the recent UN voting rounds. When asked whether India’s continued commerce with Russia would draw Western ire, Sakthivel said his country had taken a “neutral stand” on the situation in Ukraine.

“The government will take into account all the factors. The government is playing it very carefully,” he stressed.

India exported $3.3 billion worth of goods to Russia in 2021, mostly pharmaceutical products, tea, and coffee. In terms of imports, India bought $6.9 billion worth of Russian products, including arms and defense goods, mineral resources, fertilizers, metals, diamonds and other precious stones. India also imports Russian oil, with recent media reports stating that the country’s major refiner, Indian Oil Corp, has stepped up purchases of Russian crude over the past month. India is also reportedly considering buying raw materials from Russia and Belarus for fertilizer production amid skyrocketing commodities’ prices.

This is that Western arrogance, after you got used to bullying smaller countries with no consequences. Except this time it's gonna have a lot of blow back, and unfortunately, as usual, it's the civilians who will pay the price for the reckless behavior of the politicians.

— Richard Medhurst (@richimedhurst) March 28, 2022

‘Impossible’ for Austria to ban Russian gas – energy giant
The repercussions for the economy would be too great
Austria is unable to stop buying Russian natural gas this year, the head of energy giant OMV, Alfred Stern, said in response to calls for European states to place an embargo on Russian supplies.

“Embargo on Russian gas is impossible if we are not ready to accept the dire consequences. Some countries could do it, but for Austria it is not possible this year… The phase-out of Russian gas comes at a price,” he stated in an interview with Die Presse.

Stern explained that unlike some EU countries, Austria “is in a difficult position” when it comes to alternative energy sources, having “no access to the sea, no access to liquefied petroleum gas.”

Stern is not alone in his views regarding Austria’s dependence on Russian energy. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said earlier this week that he does not support any restrictions on the supply of oil and gas from Russia to Europe.

“From us there should be a clear rejection of any ideas about stopping the import of Russian gas or Russian oil,” Nehammer said in an interview with OE24 TV.

Currently, gas storage facilities in Austria are only 13% full, media reports, citing industry sources.