Russian President Vladimir Putin announced today that Russia will accept gas payments in rubles and not euros or dollars. Putin said the stipulation applies to an unspecified list of “unfriendly” countries, the official TASS news agency reported.
The decision targets European countries that are supporting Ukraine politically and militarily in response to the Russian invasion. Putin may also be trying to force European countries that sanctioned Russia’s central bank to do business with the institution, according to The Moscow Times.