Four European gas buyers have paid supplies in Rubel as requested by President Vladimir Putin, according to someone close to Russian gas giants Gazprom PJSC.
Even if other buyers reject the Kremlin requirements, more cutoffs after the termination of gas flows to Poland and Bulgaria Wednesday is not possible until the second half of May when the next payment is due, the person says, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss secret issues.
Ten European companies have opened accounts at Gazprombank to meet Russian payment requests, the person said.
The supply to Poland and Bulgaria was cut off after they rejected the mechanism proposed by Gazprom for ruble payments, which according to the gas giant did not violate the European Union sanctions, according to the person. Russia supplies gas through pipelines to 23 European countries.
After the European Union imposed sanctions on Russia for the invasion of Ukraine, Moscow demanded to be paid in a ruble for shipping starting April 1. But the block told member countries that the mechanism proposed by Kremlin, which requires the opening of Euro and Rubel with the controlled Gazprombank state, will violate sanctions.
