European Gas Prices Surge 24% Overnight After Russia Cuts Gas To Poland And Bulgaria Over Failure To Pay For Gas In Rubles

 

Daily Mail: European gas prices surge 24% after Putin 'blackmails' Poland and Bulgaria by cutting off their supplies as Moscow says 'unfriendly' nations only have themselves to blame 

* Russia cut off gas to Bulgaria and Poland in the toughest response yet to crippling Western sanctions 

* Poland and Bulgaria are first countries to see Russian supplies cut off since Putin's invasion began on Feb. 24 

* Putin ordered western countries to pay for Russian gas from Gazprom in roubles in response to sanctions 

* Other 'unfriendly' countries have also refused to pay in roubles, but so far Poland and Bulgaria are the only nations to see their gas supplies cut off by state-owned Gazprom - the world's largest natural gas supplier 

* Poland and Bulgaria have said they will end dependence on Russian gas, which accounts for around 40 percent of Europe's gas. European gas prices spiked by as much as 24 percent following Russia's move 

* Moscow's decision is its latest use of gas as a weapon in a conflict that has now dragged into its third month 

European gas prices surged 24 percent today after Russian energy giant Gazprom halted gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria for failing to pay for its gas in roubles, as President Vladimir Putin ordered last month. 

The move is the Kremlin's toughest response yet to crippling Western sanctions imposed over Moscow's brutal on-going invasion of Ukraine, that have sent the Russian economy - and the value of the rouble - into a nosedive. 

Moscow said that the 'unfriendly' countries had only themselves to blame, but denied the move was blackmail.  

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WNU Editor: The Kremlin is now threatening other countries should they decide to not pay for Russian gas in rubles .... Russia threatens to cut gas to other nations as EU accuses Kremlin of 'blackmail' (The Independent). 

Russia Cuts Gas To Poland And Bulgaria Over Failure To Pay For Gas In Rubles  

Russia strikes back by cutting off gas to 2 NATO nations -- AP  

Russia shuts off gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria -- CNN  

How worried should Europe be as Russia starts cutting off gas supplies? -- The Guardian  

EU accuses Russia of 'blackmail' after it cuts gas to Poland, Bulgaria -- FOX News  

Gazprom decision sparks outrage from European president: ‘Blackmail’ -- The Hill  

Europe braces for gas crisis as Russia halts some supplies -- CNN  

EXPLAINER: What’s behind Russia’s natural gas cutoff? -- AP