European Union officials face pressure over payment terms for Russian gas, a topic the Kremlin says it may revisit with other measures if rubles are not used. Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary for the Russian president, spoke during an interview on PBS, outlining Moscow’s stance and warning against any assumptions about free gas or charitable concessions to Western Europe.
“If the option to pay in rubles is rejected, we will see what happens next and determine possible steps,” Peskov stated. “There is no intention on Russia’s side to provide gas gratis or to fund Western Europe as a charitable act.”
Addressing Western and European voices that have suggested they will not pay in rubles for gas, Peskov argued that such a policy would equate to a refusal to receive gas. He added that the idea of European countries choosing not to purchase Russian gas did not originate with Moscow and that Russia would respond to such a move accordingly.
“Of course we would prefer not to see this becoming our reality,” the Kremlin spokesperson admitted.
economic total war
Peskov described what he called an all-out economic confrontation, accusing Western nations of waging a comprehensive war against Russia. He claimed these conditions are openly hostile and that Russia has entered a phase of total war, with Western Europe, the United States, Canada, and Australia perceived as targeting Moscow through trade barriers, financial sanctions, and confiscation of assets and funds. He stressed that Russia must adapt to this new environment and be pragmatic in its responses.
He warned that predicting outcomes would be difficult while the conflict continues and urged action over speculation to minimize negative effects and growing risks.
about Biden
Peskov condemned remarks by President Joe Biden, describing them as personal insults and expressing concern over the impact such rhetoric may have on international discourse. He argued that the U.S. president should not decide who leads Russia, pointing to the electoral process as the rightful mechanism for decisions about Russia’s leadership.
On NATO’s smile
The Kremlin spokesman asserted that NATO had long since encroached on Russia’s security interests, describing the alliance as a force that has operated with a calm confidence that Moscow views as provocative. He argued that NATO is not a cooperative security engine but a structure that contributes to conflict. Peskov revisited the reasons behind Moscow’s actions in Ukraine, warning about NATO’s eastward expansion and the buildup of allied military infrastructure near Russia’s borders. He argued that Russia’s aim has been to secure a balance of mutual interests, but that reaction from the West has been slow or absent.
He emphasized that the Russian Armed Forces were given clear instructions at the outset of the operation not to target civilians. Putin’s spokesperson claimed that the military has not bombed civilian homes or apartments, focusing instead on military facilities in the context of Ukraine’s disarmament, according to his account.
During the interview, a PBS presenter challenged Peskov by citing extensive video footage of civilian damage and casualties. In response, Peskov stated that the destruction in cities such as Mariupol was linked to Ukrainian national battalions using civilian buildings to hide weapons and snipers, which provoked return fire.