BULGARIA
Alexander Nikolov – Minister of Energy
Bulgaria has provided “alternative quantities [of gas] for a sufficiently foreseeable period,” Novinite news agency quoted Nikolov as saying on Wednesday after Russia announced it will suspend its gas deliveries to the country.
INDIA
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar – External Affairs Minister
Nikkei Asia quoted Jaishankar as saying on Tuesday that the ongoing conflict in Ukraine “could be a wake-up call for Europe” to also look at challenges faced by Asia and to rules-based order in the region.
HUNGARY
Peter Szijjarto – Foreign Minister
Hungary will convert euros into rubles in Gazprombank in order to comply with Russia’s request to pay for its gas in rubles, Szijjarto said on Wednesday. He added that Hungary’s gas supply remains secure and noted the payment will be made on May 22.
EU
President Ursula von der Leyen – European Commission President
Russia’s decision to cut gas supply to Poland and Bulgaria, is “another attempt by Russia to blackmail us with gas” von der Leyen stated on Wednesday.
“We are prepared for this scenario. We are mapping out our coordinated EU response. Europeans can trust that we stand united and in solidarity with the Member States impacted,” she added. “We will also continue working with international partners to secure alternative flows. And I will continue working with European and world leaders to ensure the security of energy supply in Europe.”
