As European countries look to wean themselves off of Russian energy, Moscow seeks to fill at least part of the gap by increasing oil exports to Asia.

There is a market “in South East-Asia, in the East,” Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin, said on Monday.

He said the world market is more diverse than the European market, but he admitted that “of course, the European market is premium.” 

Mr Peskov was reacting to the announcement by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that his government would move “pretty fast” to eliminate Germany’s dependence on Russian energy imports.

Mr Scholz said on Sunday that Germany could do this quickly in the case of coal and oil, although natural gas would take longer.

So far, Russia has continued its gas deliveries to Europe unabated despite its war against Ukraine and the sanctions imposed by the West.

Mr Peskov once again made it clear that Russia insists that natural gas deliveries to European countries be paid for in roubles, not euros.

The Russian president had announced that gas deliveries to “unfriendly states” would only be invoiced in roubles.

(dpa/NAN)