Lithuania is set to stop the imports of Russian gas to meet its domestic needs.
“From this month on – no more Russian gas in Lithuania,” Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda declared on Twitter.
Nauseda further called upon the rest of the European nations to take a similar step.
Now, Lithuania’s domestic consumption for natural gas will be met through the liquified natural gas (LNG) import terminal in the port of Klaipeda.
However, Vilnius hasn’t stopped the transit of Russian gas to the Kalinigrad enclave yet.
Moreover, the country’s energy ministry explained that the shift away from Russian supplies means that Lithuania wouldn’t have to pay Moscow in roubles now.
“Under the circumstances, Russia’s demand to pay for the gas in roubles becomes meaningless, because Lithuania is no longer ordering gas and does not expect any further payments,” the ministry’s official statement read.
Under the current circumstances of conflict with west, Russia has demanded foreign buyers to pay for its gas in roubles or deal with supply cuts.