Asian importers of Russian gas were scrambling on Thursday after Russian President Vladimir Putin said “unfriendly” countries must pay for Russian gas in roubles, in the latest jolt to global energy markets after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Japan, South Korea and Taiwan were on the list of countries deemed unfriendly. They all import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Sakhalin-2 and Yamal LNG projects in eastern Russia. Putin said on Wednesday that Russia, which calls its actions in Ukraine a “special military operation”, would continue to supply gas in volumes and prices fixed in contracts but would require payment in Russian roubles. read more Japan, the biggest importer of Russian LNG in Asia, had no idea how Russia would […]