Slovak minister says paying in rubles an option, country needs gas
Slovakia's economy minister relies on Russian gas for roughly 85% of its needs.
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Slovak minister says paying in rubles is an option, the country needs gas.
The Economy Minister of Slovakia, which relies on Russian gas for around 85% of its demand, said the country could not be cut off from Russian gas flows and if it had to pay in rubles it would, although it backed taking a common European Union stance.
Read more: Germany unable to heat homes next winter: Minister
Russia demanded payment for gas in rubles, but the European Commission said that European companies whose supply contracts stipulate payment in euros or dollars should not meet the demand.
"The gas (flow) must not stop," Slovak Economy Minister Richard Sulik said in a Sunday debate show on public broadcaster RTVS. "If there is a condition to pay in roubles, then we pay in roubles."
She added that Slovakia would continue to work on a common approach with the EU.
Read more: Russia: No rubles, no gas
This week, Slovakia said that state gas company SPP had paid its March invoice for gas in euros, as stipulated in its contract.
Sulik said the country still had six weeks to find a solution before the next gas payment is due on May 20, but Slovakia could not go without deliveries.
On Friday, Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the change would not affect settlements until later this month.
The possibility of gas shortages comes after the peak demand season in Europe, but it comes at a time when European businesses and consumers are already facing a significant increase in energy prices.
