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world news Diabierna 1 aPriL 2022

Kremlin demands rubles for gas, leaves currency loophole

(AP) — Russian President “If these payments are not rize the bank to sell it for ru-
Vladimir Putin issued a made, we will consider it a bles on Moscow’s currency
decree Thursday demand- failure of the buyer to fulfill exchange. The rubles would
ing payment for natural its obligations, with all the then be placed in the second
gas in rubles but appeared ensuing consequences,” Pu- account, where the gas is for-
to temper the order by al- tin said. mally purchased.
lowing dollar and euro
payments through a des- His proposal has caused People are “wondering what
ignated bank, the latest natural gas prices to gyrate Putin is up to,” said Tim Ash,
twist over energy supplies and raised fears it could be a senior emerging markets sov-
that Europe relies on to prelude to an interruption of ereign strategist at BlueBay
heat homes and generate supplies to Europe, which is Asset Management. Putin
electricity. heavily dependent on Rus- may have read the German
sian natural gas and would government’s unwillingness
The measure got a cautious struggle with a sudden cutoff. to boycott Russian energy “as
reception from European The German government on weakness and is now trying
leaders who insist payment Wednesday declared an early to engineer this energy crisis tral bank to work out a pro- means,” including whether
will remain in euros and dol- warning of an energy emer- ... the solution here is to call cedure for buyers to acquire “European companies can
lars and want to see the fine gency, the first step toward Putin’s bluff and say, sure, rubles in Russia. The Group continue to pay as foreseen, if
print of how the decree will authorizing government- cut off energy supplies and of Seven major economies, this means something for the
be implemented. imposed gas rationing for see who breaks first.” including Italy and Germany, ongoing sanctions.”
industry to spare homes and rejected the demand.
Countries deemed “un- hospitals. Speaking shortly after Pu- “The feeling is one I have
friendly” for imposing sanc- tin’s announcement, Ger- Before the decree was an- had since the beginning, that
tions on Russia over its war in At the same time, Russia de- man Chancellor Olaf Scholz nounced, Italian Premier it is absolutely not simple to
Ukraine can continue to pay pends on oil and gas sales for said gas contracts stipulate Mario Draghi said Thurs- change the currency of pay-
in foreign currency through much of its government rev- payment mostly in euros and day he had received assur- ments without violating the
a Russian bank that will then enue at a time its economy sometimes in dollars. He said ances from Putin that Europe contracts,″ Draghi said.
convert the money into ru- is under severe stress from he made clear to Putin in a would not have to pay in
bles, according to a Kremlin Western sanctions. Econo- phone call Wednesday “that it rubles and played down fears The French and German fi-
decree published by state me- mists say the switch to rubles will stay that way.” that Moscow would cut off nance ministers also said after
dia Thursday. It came a day would do little to support the supplies. meeting in Berlin that con-
after the leaders of Italy and battered Russian currency’s “What his ideas are for how tracts can’t simply be altered
Germany said they received exchange rate, since gas ex- this can happen is what we Draghi said Putin told him and that they would examine
assurances from Putin about porter Gazprom has to sell will now look at closely,” during a 40-minute phone what Putin has proposed.
gas supplies. 80% of its foreign currency Scholz told a reporters in call Wednesday evening that
earnings for rubles anyway. Berlin. “But in any case, what “existing contracts remain in Meanwhile, Draghi also told
Putin talked tougher, saying goes for companies is that force. ... European compa- the foreign press corps that
Russia will start accepting The decree Putin signed and they want to and will be able nies will continue to pay in Europe is pushing for a cap
ruble payments Friday and state news agency RIA No- to pay in euros.” dollars and euros.” on gas prices with Russia,
contracts will be stopped if vosti published says a des- saying its payments are fund-
buyers don’t sign up to the ignated bank will open two Putin announced last week Draghi said he referred the ing the war in Ukraine and
new conditions, including accounts for each buyer, one that Russia will demand “un- discussion about how it the prices being paid by Eu-
opening ruble accounts in in foreign currency and one friendly” countries pay for would work to experts and rope are out of line with the
Russian banks. in rubles. Buyers will pay in natural gas only in Russian that analysis was under- global market.
foreign currency and autho- currency, instructing the cen- way “to understand what it

Flights over illegal fishing lead to armed conflict resulting in deaths

(AP) - Protesters from that regularly sail into Sri ernment, even as Sri Lanka’s the catch, and they go and Australia’s national science
across Sri Lanka descend- Lankan waters by the thou- navy has used force to guard lose their lives.” agency, found a rise in global
ed on the nation’s capi- sands, hauling away valuable its fisheries — destroying In- fishing conflicts when she
tal in February, shouting sea cucumbers and prawns. dian fishing gear, charging at This 600-mile stretch of the studied a four-decade period
above the street noise and Sri Lankan fishermen say the vessels, and in at least one Indian Ocean is far from the ending in 2016. Conflicts
pumping their fists in the they’ve lost business, and violent episode, firing shots. only place where tensions this century, she said, often
air in frustration. some have lost their lives in Five Indian fishermen were over fishing run high. Else- involved claims of illegal and
confrontations with foreign reportedly killed last year in where in the region, fisher- overfishing. Her analysis in-
The group was made up of crews. encounters with the navy, men in India and Pakistan are cluded nonviolent disputes
fishermen and their sup- although Sri Lankan authori- also entangled in an ongoing that sometimes precede the
porters, and their rage was The protesters demanded ties deny they killed or shot at boundary dispute between outbreak of violence.
sparked by the Indian boats more action from the gov- crews, and say they were not the two nations in the Ara-
the aggressors. bian Sea. According to In- An Associated Press review of
dian news reports, Pakistan’s conflict databases compiled
“The intensity is increasing, maritime authority has shot by non-governmental orga-
the level of violence is in- at Indian fishing boats at least nizations, government tallies,
creasing, deaths are increas- twice in the past two years. and media reports found in
ing,” said N. Manoharan, Around the world, from Sri the past five years more than
who has researched the con- Lanka to Argentina to the 360 instances of state author-
flict as director of East Asian South China Sea, the ocean ities ramming or shooting at
studies at Bangalore’s Christ has become an expanding foreign fishing boats, some-
University. Warnings and ar- front in the armed conflict times leading to deaths.
rests, he said, have failed to between nations over illegal
keep Indian trawlers from fishing and overfishing, prac- During that same time, an-
crossing into Sri Lankan wa- tices that deplete a vulner- other 850 foreign fishing
ters — in part because their able food source for billions boats were seized by au-
own shores are overfished. of people worldwide. Jes- thorities and systematically
“They are so desperate for sica Spijkers, a researcher for crushed, blown up, or sunk.