Germany informed German gas importers about the possibility of opening ruble accounts without violating sanctions against Russia. It is reported that Germany acted on this issue in close coordination with the EU.

This was reported by the BBC.

The situation is similar in Italy. According to several sources, the Italian government has discussed the issue with the European Commission and received clarifications on how to buy Russian gas legally.

Almost all EU companies' supply contracts with Russian gas giant Gazprom are in euros or dollars. A representative of the European Commission said on May 17 that opening an account in rubles at Gazprombank would violate the EU sanctions regime.