Russia cannot blackmail Europe with its energy resources and will not be allowed to circumvent sanctions by demanding Rubles for its shipments of oil and gas, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen said on Thursday.
Von der Leyen says the Russian Federation will not be able to unilaterally change the terms of the contract to sell gas in Rubles.
“It will be a unilateral decision and a clear breach of contract,” Von der Leyen said following Russia’s request.
“The time when energy could be used to blackmail us is over,” she added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address on March 23 that the Russian Federation would sell gas to “unfriendly” countries only in Rubles.
