Russia gas supply to Europe may see complete halt as ruble deadline nears

Russia said it would work out practical arrangements by Thursday for foreign companies to pay for its gas in rubles, raising the probability of supply disruptions as Western nations have so far rejected Moscow’s demand for a currency switch.
 

The EU is assessing a scenarios including a full halt to Russian gas supplies next winter, as part of its contingency planning for supply shocks, the European Commission said last week.
 

President Vladimir Putin’s recent order to charge “unfriendly” countries in rubles for Russian gas has boosted the currency after it fell to all-time lows when the West imposed sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
 

“No one will supply gas for free, it is simply impossible, and you can pay for it only in rubles,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday.
 

The move has drawn strong criticism from European countries, which pay for Russian gas mostly in euros and say Russia is not entitled to redraw contracts, with the G7 nations rejecting Moscow’s demands this week. 
 

G7 countries have called upon companies not to accede to ruble payments and that most gas supply contracts stipulate euro or US dollar payments.

Kremlin says reports of  poisoning are untrue

The Kremlin on Tuesday dismissed reports that Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich had been poisoned, saying they were untrue and part of an “information war”. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Abramovich is not an official member of the Russian team negotiating with Ukraine, but is present at the talks in Turkey to “enable certain contacts” between the two sides.

Biden to discuss Ukraine with European leaders 

US President Joe Biden will talk to the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom on Tuesday to discuss the latest developments in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the White House said. Biden is scheduled to convene the call with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, it said.

Biden says comments on Putin were moral outrage

US President Joe Biden has said that he would make “no apologies” and was not “walking anything back” after his controversial remark that President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power" and emphasising that his comment was a “moral outrage” that he felt after Russia invaded Ukraine.