Payments for Russian gas in rubles won't start exactly on March 31 - Peskov

(Interfax) - The process of payments for Russian natural gas exported to countries designated as unfriendly in Russian rubles will not be launched exactly on March 31, as this process spans a certain period of time, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.

Asked whether the new rules for payments for Russian gas will take effect on Thursday, Peskov replied, "No, absolutely not."

"After all, as we've discussed it, payments and deliveries are a process spanning a certain period of time," he said.

"It's not like it's delivered tomorrow and must be paid for [immediately in rubles]. It spans a longer period for purely technological reasons," Peskov said.

The mechanism of ruble-denominated payments for Russian natural gas supplied to unfriendly countries will be made public, Peskov said.

Journalists asked Peskov whether the way the respective proposals would be conveyed to the Russian president was known and whether the meeting would be public. "I do not have such information for now but, anyway, of course, such information will be available, so let us wait until tomorrow," he said.

"There is a presidential instruction, and it will be fulfilled," Peskov said.