The reason for this is Russia’s announcement that future gas deliveries will only be paid for in rubles, the climate ministry said on Wednesday afternoon. This will further tighten the surveillance and monitoring system. Energy control measures such as rationing are not planned for the time being – they are only planned from level 3.
At the same time, the ministry reminds that gas deliveries from Russia are currently continuing without restrictions. The domestic gas storage facilities are 13 percent full, which corresponds to the average in recent years. Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) and Climate Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) promise to do everything to ensure the gas supply for Austria’s households and businesses. With the early warning level, the situation on the gas market will be monitored even more closely.
Germany also announces an early warning level
The German Ministry of Economic Affairs announced the early warning level of its gas emergency plan early in the morning. This is intended to increase precautionary measures in order to arm the Federal Republic against an escalation on the part of Russia and thus a poorer gas supply. The background to this is the government’s demand in Moscow that gas deliveries should only be paid for in rubles. The West rejects this. Payment in euros or dollars has been agreed in the current contracts.
The payment in rubles was originally supposed to take effect tomorrow Thursday. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s instruction to switch to ruble payments is not yet valid for this Thursday, but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. The delivery of gas and payment are separate processes.
Talks in Russia on Thursday
Putin wants to meet with representatives of the Russian gas giant Gazprom and the central bank on Thursday to find out about the current state of affairs. The announced meeting and the refusal of Western countries to switch to the ruble had sparked fears in Europe that Russia could quickly shut down gas supplies. Peskow had also said that if you didn’t pay, there would be no gas; Russia is not a charity. Russia wants to switch to ruble payments because of Western sanctions in the wake of the war in Ukraine because, according to Putin, the country can no longer do anything with euros and dollars.
The Netherlands does not want to activate its gas emergency plan yet. However, the population is being asked to reduce their gas consumption, said the spokesman for the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Tim van Dijk, on Wednesday. According to the EU Commission, it is prepared for possible supply disruptions to gas from Russia. “We are prepared for everything and we will also work very closely with the member states so that everyone can prepare well for this situation,” said EU Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans in Brussels on Wednesday, without going into details.
Source: Nachrichten
