MOSCOW, April 1. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin outlined the new mechanism of gas payments in conversations with European leaders before it was officially announced on Thursday, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday.

"He described the mechanism in general terms. Later my colleague [Russian Presidential Aide Maxim] Oreshkin explained the mechanism in details to colleagues from the office of Chancellor [of Germany Olaf Scholz]," he said when asked a respective question.

Last week Russian President Vladimir Putin requested moving payments for gas supplies to unfriendly countries to rubles, saying that Moscow would refuse accepting payments on such contracts in discredited currencies, including dollars and euros. He also tasked the government with giving Gazprom an instruction on amending present contracts. On March 31, Putin signed a decree on rules of gas trade with unfriendly countries, which stipulates a new system of contract payment.