Banknotes and coinsMOSCOW, 31 Mar. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, during a telephone conversation with President Vladimir Putin, asked for an explanation of the procedure for paying for Russian gas in rubles. The relevant information was disseminated by the representative of the German government, Steffen Hebestreit. «Chancellor Scholz did not give consent in this conversation, but only asked for written information in order to better understand the procedure,» he said. Following this telephone conversation, the Kremlin reported that the Russian leader explained to the German Chancellor the decision to switch to rubles in gas payments: it was caused by the fact that, in violation of international law, Russian foreign exchange reserves were frozen by the EU countries. At the same time, the parties agreed that experts from the two countries would further discuss this issue. In a conversation with Scholz, Putin noted that the decision should not lead to a deterioration in contractual conditions for European importers of Russian gas. The parties agreed that experts from the two countries would further discuss this issue. The President of Russia gave similar explanations to the Prime Minister of Italy. Settlements in rubles On February 24, Russia launched a special military operation to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine, in response to which the United States and its allies announced new anti-Russian sanctions, which are directed primarily against the banking sector and the supply of high-tech products. Approximately half of Russia's gold and foreign exchange reserves, about $300 billion, have been blocked in the West. Under the current conditions, President Vladimir Putin announced on March 23 that Russia was converting payments for gas supplies to unfriendly countries into rubles, supplying Russian goods to the EU and the United States and receiving payment in them. currency is meaningless. Putin instructed the Central Bank and the government within a week to determine the procedure for transactions with Europe in rubles. At the same time, he said that Russia would continue to supply gas in the volumes and at prices fixed in the contracts concluded earlier, since the country values its reputation. on Wednesday, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov.The German Ministry of Economy answered the question of when the country will run out of gas How the cessation of energy supplies will affect Germany experts predicted 4.6% growth for the current year. As representatives of the council said at a briefing in Berlin, a possible cessation of energy supplies from Russia could lead to the fact that the German economy, which «has not yet fully recovered from the crisis caused by the coronavirus, will slide down» into an even deeper recession, inflation will rise even more», in particular, its growth could reach more than six percent. German trade unions, in turn, warned that the refusal of energy supplies from Russia would lead to serious shocks in the industry. , chemical and paper industries. In addition, there is a threat of rising unemployment. Indeed, at least 3.4 million people could lose their jobs. Also, the refusal to import can lead to the destruction of existing industrial production chains. contracts when converting settlements into rubles, but protects its interests, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said earlier. The diplomat stressed that Russia has always been a reliable supplier for everyone and intends to continue to do so, but its requirements and interests must be respected.
