G7 rejects Putin demand to pay ruble for gas

The world's leading economies reject Russian demands to pay for imported gas in roubles, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Monday, reported dpa.

Speaking after an online meeting with the G7 energy ministers, which he chaired, Habeck said the ministers had agreed that the demands for payment in roubles were "a unilateral and clear breach of existing contracts."

Contracts that had been concluded still applied, he said. "This means that payment in roubles is not acceptable," he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that "unfriendly states" would have to pay for gas in Russian roubles, in a move apparently designed to shore up the struggling local currency.

"Putin's attempt to divide us is obvious," said Habeck. "We will not be divided, and the response of the G7 countries is clear: the agreements will be respected.