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The Russian president's announcement that countries "unfriendly" to Moscow must pay for gas deliveries with rubles shows that he's willing to use energy as a weapon in the Ukraine war. It puts the West in a tight spot.
With his demand for payments in the Russian currency, Vladimir Putin has dealt a surprise blow to Western countries still using large volumes of Russian gas for their energy needs.
The Russian president stated the measure would apply to 48 countries deemed "hostile" and include the United States, the UK, and all members of the European Union.
Combined with an extremely growing inflation in Europe, this fact might press the euro to the lowest numbers since 2015.