Russian President Vladimir Putin says that he wants “unfriendly” countries to start paying for Russian energy with rubles, a move that could strengthen the value of the weakened Russian currency.
“We treasure our reputation as a reliable supplier and a reliable partner.”
“It makes no sense for us to supply our goods to both the [European Union] and the United States and receive payment in dollars, euros, and a number of other currencies,” Putin said, according to a translation of his remarks, as cited by Kommersant.
Putin noted that, in his view, the U.S. dollar and the euro have been “compromised” by sanctions on Russia’s central bank reserves.
Earlier in March, Russia announced a list of countries and territories that it considers to be “unfriendly.” The list includes the United States and Canada, member states of the EU, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Ukraine, where Russia is engaged in what it calls a “special military operation” to degrade its military and oust from power what it claims are dangerous nationalists.
Western allies have denounced Russia’s actions in Ukraine as an illegal, unjustified, and groundless war of aggression.
A host of countries have imposed punishing sanctions on Russia because of the invasion of Ukraine, including on its banks and wealthy oligarchs, closing their airspace to Russian planes, and banning the export of key technologies.
The sanctions led to a sharp drop in the value of the ruble. Requiring countries to pay for Russian gas in rubles forces them to buy the Russian currency and helps push up its value.
Following Putin’s remarks about Russian energy transactions to be settled in rubles, the Russian currency gained ground against the dollar and other currencies.