Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer. File photoMOSCOW, April 1 Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, in an interview with the Kronen Zeitung newspaper, spoke out against the imposition of an embargo on oil and gas supplies from Russia. According to the publication, the Austrian politician confirmed his position after negotiations with his German counterpart Olaf Scholz.
"Sanctions only make sense if they weaken those for whom they are intended, and not the one who imposes them", Nehammer emphasized.
The chancellor explained that he sees it as his task to ensure the security of energy supplies. At the same time, the head of the Austrian government announced the need to reduce dependence on Russian gas. He also urged to wait for details on the transition to payment in rubles in gas contracts. «Let's judge not about announcements, but about facts. OMV (Austrian oil company. — Ed.) has not yet received any notification, and the company has long-term contracts in euro until 2040,” concluded the Austrian politician.The Czech Republic said that in the event of a cessation of gas supplies from Russia, there is no plan. Russia launched a military operation on February 24 to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine. In response, Western countries announced large-scale sanctions against Moscow, primarily in the banking sector and the supply of high-tech products. Individual brands announced the cessation of work in the country. The Kremlin called these measures an economic war, the likes of which have never been seen before. The authorities stressed their readiness for such a development of events and assured that they would continue to fulfill social obligations. The Bank of Russia is taking measures to stabilize the situation on the foreign exchange market. The authorities also announced the transfer of payments for gas supplies to unfriendly countries into rubles. In addition, the government has prepared a plan to counter restrictive measures, which includes about a hundred initiatives. The volume of its financing will be about a trillion rubles.