Russian energy giant Gazprom said yesterday it has stopped fuel exports to Poland and Bulgaria, marking a rise in tensions with the European Union over Russia’s war against Ukraine.
In a statement, Gazprom attributed the stoppage to the Polish and Bulgarian gas companies’ refusal to pay in rubles, the Russian currency. The gas is delivered via the Yamal pipeline, which runs from Siberia to Europe.
President Vladimir Putin ordered nations deemed “unfriendly” by Moscow should settle their gas bills in rubles last month – a response to Western sanctions against Russia over its military actions in Ukraine.
The move was widely seen as an effort to prop up the currency and strike back at Europe amid an onslaught of Western penalties levied against Russia’s banking sector.
Writing on his Telegram channel, Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, likened the stoppage to blackmail and said Russia “always” disregarded rules. He urged the EU to stay united in support of Ukraine and deprive Russia of its “energy weapons.” The European Union buys a significant portion of its fuel from Russia.
Russia also yesterday banned 287 British lawmakers from the country in retaliation for sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom on 386 Russian lawmakers in March, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement yesterday.