Shell Unable to Buy Russian Gas Due to London’s Anti-Russian Stance - Kremlin Spokesman

London wants to be the leader of everything anti-Russian, Dmitry Peskov said

Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov Mikhail Metzel/TASS

© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

MOSCOW, April 2. /TASS/. Shell’s inability to buy Russian gas is a side effect of London’s anti-Russian policies, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has told TASS.

"London wants to be the leader of everything anti-Russian, it even wants to be ahead of Washington [in this matter]. Well, here are the side effects," Peskov said, commenting on the fact that, in contrast with other EU countries, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on Gazprombank and is now unable to pay for Russian gas, even in rubles.

Bloomberg reported on Friday that Shell will most likely be unable to pay for Russian gas this month, because the United Kingdom has imposed sanctions on Gazprombank.

Last week Russian President Vladimir Putin requested moving payments for gas supplies to unfriendly countries to rubles, saying that Moscow would refuse accepting payments on such contracts in discredited currencies, including dollars and euros. He also tasked the government with giving Gazprom an instruction on amending present contracts. On March 31, Putin signed a decree on rules of gas trade with unfriendly countries, which stipulates a new system of contract payment.

The new procedure of payment for Russian pipeline gas in rubles by buyers from unfriendly countries came into force on April 1. Such buyers are required to open special ruble and foreign currency accounts with Gazprombank to pay for gas supplies. Currency conversion will be carried out on Russian exchanges. In case of incomplete payment, the Russian customs is authorized to ban deliveries. The government commission for the control of foreign investment in Russia has the right to issue exceptions to these rules for individual buyers.