Find roubles if you want Russian oil

Russia's top lawmaker warned the European Union on Wednesday that if it wanted Russian natural gas then it would have to pay in roubles, and cautioned that oil, grain, metals, fertiliser, coal and timber exports could also soon be priced the same way.

After the West imposed crippling sanctions on Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded that natural gas exported to Europe or the United States should be paid for in his country's currency.

Europe, which imports about 40 per cent of its gas from Russia and pays mostly in euros, says Russia's state-controlled gas giant Gazprom is not entitled to redraw contracts. The G7 group of nations rejected Moscow's demands this week.

"European politicians need to stop the talk, stop trying to find some justification about why they cannot pay in roubles," Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the lower house of parliament, said in a post on Telegram.  "If you want gas, find roubles."

 "Moreover, it would be right - where it is beneficial for our country - to widen the list of export products priced in roubles to include: fertiliser, grain, food oil, oil, coal, metals, timber etc."

If was not immediately clear whether such a move could become official Russian policy, though Putin, when announcing the rouble decision for natural gas, said it was only the start of the process.

Germany declared on Wednesday an  "early warning" that it could be heading for a gas supply emergency and said the measure was designed to prepare for a possible disruption or stoppage of natural gas flows from Russia.