EU’s Energy Ministers Condemn Suspension of Russian Gas Supplies — Minister

Representatives of all EU nations stated "the necessity to impose sanctions and observe the terms of contracts in euros," the France's Ecological Transition Minister Barbara Pompili noted

© Petr Kovalev/TASS

PARIS, May 2. /TASS/. The European Union’s ministers responsible for energy have condemned the suspension of Russian gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria after the refusal of those countries to pay for gas in rubles, France's Ecological Transition Minister Barbara Pompili told a press conference following the ministers’ meeting in Brussels on Monday.

"During today’s meeting ministers reiterated solidarity of all EU countries against new challenges. First of all, we definitely condemn Gazprom’s unilateral decision to suspend gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria," she said.

Representatives of all EU nations stated "the necessity to impose sanctions and observe the terms of contracts in euros," the minister noted. "All suppliers should fulfill their contract obligations," she said. "Together with our operators and the European Commission we intend to continue the work on a common approach to payments that would be in line with the EU’s sanctions and contracts as they were concluded," Pompili stressed.

The meeting on Monday only focused on the issues related to gas supplies, whereas the work on sanctions against Russian energy in a wider sense continues, she added. "Discussions will continue this week, information on them may be expected in coming days," the minister said when asked about possible restrictions on Russian oil deliveries.

"Russia’s unilateral decision only intensifies the necessity to reduce imports of fossil fuel from this country," she said.

On April 26, Gazprom submitted to Polish and Bulgarian importing companies a notification on suspension of gas supplies starting April 27 due to their refusal to make final payments in Russian rubles. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered on March 23 that unfriendly states must pay for Russian gas in rubles, saying that Moscow would refuse to accept payments under gas contracts with those states in "compromised" currencies, particularly meaning dollars and euros.