Russia won't export gas without payment - Peskov

WASHINGTON. March 29 (Interfax) - Russia will not engage in charity by supplying natural gas abroad for free, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.

"No payment, not gas [...] definitely we are not going to make charity out of it and to send gas free of charge to Western Europe," Peskov said in an interview with the U.S. television channel PBS, when asked to comment on the Western Europe's refusal to pay for gas they import from Russia in rubles.

"As soon as we have the final decision, we'll look what can be done," he said.

Russia is not interested in Europe's deciding to stop buying gas from Russia, but it was not Russia that initiated the processes unfolding in Europe, he said.

President Vladimir Putin recently ordered that payments for natural gas exported by Russia be converted into rubles from U.S. dollars and euros. It was announced following a meeting of the Group of Seven energy policy chiefs on Monday that the countries comprising the group would not pay for Russian gas in rubles.