According to the expert, much will depend on the details of the calculation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on the eve instructed to proceed to the calculation in rubles for gas in relation to unfriendly countries.
The Head of State noted that the Russian Federation will continue to supply natural gas in accordance with contractual obligations and set aside a week for the Central Bank of the Russian Federation and the Russian government to determine a new procedure for operations in rubles.
According to economist Sergey Pikin, an attempt has been made several times before to switch to rubles in payment for energy carriers.
However, in the end, preference was still given to the calculation in dollars.
“Now is the most convenient time to transfer our gas trade to rubles”, – Pikin is sure.
He noted that further everything will depend on the implementation mechanism.
With a strict scheme under which buyers will be obliged to buy rubles on the Moscow Exchange, European buyers are unlikely to do it en masse.
This will lead to the fact that European consumers will actively look for alternative suppliers, and the Russian Federation will have to reduce supplies.
“If the mechanism of the counterparty’s transition to rubles is softer and more comfortable, step-by-step, then it will successfully work ”, – the expert is sure. His words are quoted by “Moskovsky Komsomolets”.
He recalled that there is no question of selling oil and other goods for export for rubles.
At the same time, he called gas the most painful issue for European consumers.
Meanwhile, the reaction of some countries to Moscow’s decision to convert mutual settlements for gas into rubles has already become known.
So, Austria and Italy are still studying the situation, expressing doubts about the possibility of paying for gas in a currency other than the contract.
“My opinion is that it is necessary to pay in euros, because paying in rubles would be a way to circumvent sanctions. Therefore, I think we will continue to pay in euros,” said Francesco Javazzi, Economic Adviser to the Italian Prime Minister.
They are also studying the situation in Germany. There is also no understanding yet of how payments for Russian gas will be made in rubles.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic admitted that Russia’s decision to sell gas for rubles will create many problems.
According to him, Bulgaria, through whose gas transmission system Russian gas enters Serbia and Hungary, has already declared its unwillingness to pay for gas from the Russian Federation in rubles.
“This decision is about rubles – some people think it’s brilliant in the geopolitical game to resist the petrodollar together with the yuan, the Germans have already said that this is the reason for the termination of the contract, so I’m not sure. All this brings us only many, many new problems,” RIA Novosti quoted the Serbian president as saying.
But Moldova has declared its readiness to switch to rubles when paying for gas, since the agreement between Gazprom and Moldovagaz provides for payments in both dollars and euros or rubles.
“There will be no consequences in relations with Gazprom ”, — assured Deputy Prime Minister of Moldova Andrei Spynu.
Earlier, topNews wrote that Vladimir Putin instructed to pay for gas in Europe for rubles.