However, the West has already rejected that Russian demand, most recently by the economy ministers of the G-7, the main western industrialized countries (US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Italy and Japan). After all, according to the G-7, the payment modalities are laid down in contracts and Russia cannot unilaterally change them. That has been reiterated today by the German Economy Minister Robert Habeck and his French colleague Bruno Le Maire, who happens to be visiting Berlin. Both take into account that Russia would interrupt natural gas supplies and that we must prepare for that. Incidentally, Russia needs these payments just as much as Europe needs natural gas, especially now that it is involved in a possibly protracted and very expensive war.
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