Moscow has said that states that do not respect the rule to pay in rubles for gas, Russia will stop their supply.

Speaking to PBS, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has expressed what will happen to those states that refuse to pay in rubles.

"We will not do charity and send free gas to Western Europe," Peskov said.

The issue stems from Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision last week to order the state-controlled Russian Central Bank, the Kremlin and Gazprom to submit proposals by March 31 on gas payments to "unfriendly states", including all European Union countries.

Meanwhile, the group of seven most industrialized states, known as the G7, said it had agreed to reject the Kremlin's request for payment in rubles for Russian energy, saying it violated existing contracts.

Days earlier, Putin had said that Russia would implement changes and stop accepting payments in "compromised" currencies.

Meanwhile, on March 25, during a meeting of EU leaders, there was no common position on this request of Russia.

/ Telegraphy /