Report: Russia may stop pumping of gas to Finland on Friday

HELSINKI/MOSCOW, May 13 (PRIME) -- Finnish politicians were warned that Russia could stop pumping natural gas to Finland on Friday as a countermeasure to the country’s decision to join NATO, local daily Iltalehti reported late on Thursday.

Ville Tavio, chairman of the Finnish parliament’s Finns Party Parliamentary Group, confirmed to Iltalehti that the parliament members were informed about different options of the Russian countermeasures to Finland’s decision to join NATO, and the country was ready for that.

Previously, the country expected the supplies of Russian gas to stop on May 23 when the country was to make a payment for gas, as it rejects Russia’s plan of paying for gas in rubles.

Bloomberg reported quoting sources familiar with the matter that Italian oil and gas company Eni plans to continue paying for Russian gas even if the settlements are changed into rubles from euros.

Russian gas giant Gazprom says that the payment plan in rubles has no direct relation to the Russian central bank, therefore it doesn’t contradict the E.U. sanctions, and Eni is ready to agree to that. The Italian company is yet to open a ruble account with Gazprombank, but it is doing the necessary legal preparations in case it becomes a necessity, sources told Bloomberg.

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