Gazprom attributed the postponement of payment for gas to requests from foreign buyers

The postponement of payment for gas is due to numerous requests from foreign buyers. This was reported to Izvestia on December 20 by the press service of Gazprom with reference to the statement of the deputy chairman of the energy company, Famil Sadygov.

The day before the decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin was published, according to which foreign buyers of Russian gas until April 1, 2025 can pay in rubles not only through Gazprombank, but also through other banks of the Russian Federation. Thus, until this date, the obligation to pay for natural gas supplies by a buyer abroad is considered to be duly fulfilled if funds are credited in rubles to a ruble account opened by the Russian supplier in a Russian credit organization.

"Due to numerous requests from foreign gas buyers, the approved <...> decree of the President of the Russian Federation (dated December 19, 2024, No. 1080) granted them a delay in the execution of payment to accounts in an authorized bank until April 1, 2025 to take measures to mitigate or cancel restrictive measures against Gazprombank within this period," he said.

Sadygov recalled that since April 2022, in accordance with the decree of the President of Russia (dated March 31, 2022 №172), buyers from unfriendly countries paid for supplies using special "K" accounts in Gazprombank. The bank conducted conversion operations for the buyers, giving them the opportunity to pay for gas supplies in Russian rubles.

The deputy chairman of the company pointed out that in connection with the sanctions imposed by the U.S. Ministry of Finance against Gazprombank, the decree of the head of the Russian state had been amended earlier, providing for the obligation of buyers to independently purchase Russian rubles and transfer them to Gazprom's accounts in the above-mentioned bank as payment for gas supplies until the restrictions on the credit organization are lifted.

In addition, the press service of Gazprombank specified to Izvestia that, according to the document, gas buyers can pay for gas in rubles to Gazprom accounts in Russian banks until April 1, 2025. The postponement is presented for the purpose of obtaining the necessary licenses or lifting restrictions on working with an authorized bank within this period.

"From April 1, 2025 there will be an exclusive procedure for payment of gas, in accordance with the decree of the President of the Russian Federation №172, to accounts in Gazprombank," - added in the press service of the credit institution.

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Earlier, on December 5, Putin updated the procedure for making payments to foreign buyers for Russian gas supplies. The signed decree allowed resuming supplies to foreign buyers who had repaid their debts by crediting their accounts in rubles. At the same time, the decree appointed Gazprombank as an authorized bank to open special accounts for such deliveries.

The day before, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said he had asked the United States to make an exception to the sanctions against Gazprombank for payments for gas from Russia. He discussed such a possibility with Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in Brussels.

Gazprombank was added to the U.S. sanctions list in November. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said afterward that Russia was working on retaliatory measures. He called completely blocking measures against Russia impossible and promised that a solution would be found soon.