Gazprom says it halts gas supplies to Latvia (updated)

Latvijas Gaze AS

30/07/2022 08:37

(Adds detail)
    July 30 (Reuters) - Russian gas producer Gazprom  GAZP.MM 
said on Saturday it had stopped supplying neighbouring Latvia
with gas, accusing it of violating conditions for gas
withdrawal. 
    Russia has already cut off gas supplies to Poland, Bulgaria,
Finland, Netherlands and Denmark, which refused to pay for gas
in line with an order by President Vladimir Putin requiring
rouble accounts to be set up in a Russian bank as part of new
settlement scheme. 
    Russia has also halted gas sales to Shell Energy Europe in
Germany.
    In a statement on Saturday, Gazprom did not specify which
gas withdrawal conditions Latvia had allegedly violated. 
    Gazprom's move comes a day after Latvian energy firm
Latvijas Gaze said it was buying gas from Russia and paying in
euros rather than the roubles required when trading with
Gazprom.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2ZA5EU
    A spokesperson for Latvijas Gaze, however, said on Friday
the company was buying gas from Russia, but not from Gazprom.
Latvijas Gaze would not name its provider, citing business
confidentiality.    
    In March, Putin said the world's largest natural gas
producer would require countries designated as "unfriendly" in
their stance on the conflict in Ukraine to pay for piped gas in
roubles.
    The European Commission -- which has warned that complying
with Putin's order could breach European Union sanctions against
Moscow -- has urged EU companies to continue paying in the
currency agreed in their contracts with Gazprom, the vast
majority of which are in euros or dollars.

 (Reporting by Reuters, Editing by William Maclean)