From Wednesday, Russia will stop supplying gas to Poland and Bulgaria

"From Wednesday morning, Russia wants to stop its gas supplies to Poland. Bulgaria will then no longer receive Russian gas either. In the meantime, no more gas had flowed through the Yamal pipeline to Poland in the afternoon.

Russia will stop all natural gas supplies to Poland. The Polish natural gas group PGNiG announced in Warsaw on Tuesday that no more deliveries will be made to Poland starting on Wednesday. PGNiG was informed by the Russian natural gas company Gazprom. The supply of Poland with Russian gas via the Yamal pipeline had been temporarily stopped on Tuesday. According to data from the EU network of gas network operators, no gas flowed from Belarus to Poland in the afternoon. In the evening, gas flowed through the line again.

According to the Bulgarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Bulgaria will no longer be supplied with Russian gas from Wednesday. Gas company Bulgargas was informed by Gazprom on Tuesday evening that natural gas deliveries will be suspended from April 27.

Poland does not want to pay for natural gas in rubles, as Russia is demanding. PGNiG sees the decision as a breach of existing contracts. PGNiG wants to claim damages for breach of contract. PGNiG will also take steps to secure the gas supply in accordance with the contractual agreements. PGNiG has long-term contracts with Gazprom that expire this year.

Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Tuesday in Berlin after a meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz: "We have received threats from Gazprom to stop gas supplies." Perhaps Russia is trying to blackmail Poland in this way. However, Poland had prepared in advance for the diversification of the gas supply. The economy is not at risk. The gas storage facilities are 76 percent full.

Habeck: Germany independent of Russian oil within days

Russia had threatened to turn off the gas supply to European countries if they did not pay for their imports in rubles, as requested since March. Poland then stated several times that it did not want to comply with the request. For its part, the European Commission has asked gas importers in the EU to continue paying in the contractually agreed currency. In 97 percent of the cases it is the euro or the dollar.

Gazprom is on a list of Russian companies and oligarchs whose assets may be frozen under a new sanctions law released on Tuesday. Poland launched these punitive measures independently of sanctions that EU countries jointly imposed on Russia. Polish media initially reported on the stop of Russian gas deliveries on Tuesday.

Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) said on Tuesday during a visit to Warsaw that he assumed that Germany could achieve independence from oil supplies from Russia within a few days. "In the case of gas, too, we are working to overcome the high level of dependence that Germany had here, which was a mistake," said the Economics Minister. He announced close cooperation with Poland in the field of energy."

The Germans will buy cheap Russian gas and resell it expensively to the Poles. If the Poles want to give up trading in rubles, they will have to pay dearly for it.