MOSCOW, May 2. /TASS/. Moscow has no intention of putting up with the West’s criminal ways and will not let anyone steal the money it makes from exporting oil and gas, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Italy’s Mediaset broadcaster.
"A simple thing has happened that those who have been criticizing and condemning our actions don’t want to talk about: our money, more than $300 billion, has been stolen," he noted. "Most of the money came from oil and gas exports. We hold a responsibility to our people and we cannot let the West carry on with its criminal ways," Lavrov added.
According to him, the theft "became possible because under Western rules, the Gazprom company had to keep the money in Western banks. "They decided to ‘punish’ Russia and stole [the money]," Lavrov went on to say. "Now they suggest that we should keep our trade going but they will have the money. They will steal it again when they wish," the Russian top diplomat noted.
Lavrov stressed that Western media outlets had been ignoring the situation. "We’ve come up with an initiative that a payment will be considered paid not when Gazprombank receives euros or dollars but when they are converted into rubles, which are impossible to steal," Lavrov said. "Our partners know what it’s all about. The crucial thing is that nothing will change for customers because they will continue to pay in euros and dollars and the conversion will be done afterwards," he emphasized.