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While Poland and Bulgaria have been deprived of gas supplies by Russia for refusing to pay in rubles, Barbara Pompili, Minister for Ecological Transition, assured that there would be no concessions in the face of blackmail.
European energy ministers convened urgently in Brussels. Last week, the Russian giant Gazprom stopped deliveries to Bulgaria and Poland. Both countries had refused to pay in rubles, the Russian currency. The danger is that other countries very dependent on these gas imports find themselves in the same situation. No way for the European Union to give in to this blackmail. “We will continue to pay in euros contracts that have been stipulated in euros, or in dollars where applicable. We cannot accept this kind of maneuvers which break contracts already established”said Barbara Pompili, Minister for the Ecological Transition.
Another objective of this meeting: to reduce Russian gas imports by two thirds by the end of the year. The ministers also spoke of a gradual halt to their oil purchases, as part of a 6th package of sanctions against Moscow. But the dependence is reciprocal, because Russia exports most of its oil to the European Union. In Europe, the main importers are Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and France.