Russia Says Half of Gazprom Clients Abroad Opened Ruble Accounts
- These customers are ready to pay on time for gas, Novak says
- Deputy PM also says oil output recovering after two-month drop
A Gazprom operated oil and gas refinery near Kikinda, Serbia.
Photographer: Oliver Bunic/Bloomberg
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Around half of Gazprom PJSC’s foreign clients have complied with a request from Russia’s president to open accounts with Gazprombank JSC, according to Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak.
The shift in procedure follows a demand by Vladimir Putin in March that foreign buyers open ruble and foreign-currency accounts at the bank to handle payments for natural gas. But European companies have feared that doing so might violate sanctions imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.