All Russia’s big exports could soon be in roubles: Kremlin

LONDON REUTERS March 30-The Kremlin indicated on Wednesday that all of Russia’s energy and commodity exports could be priced in roubles, toughening President Vladimir Putin’s attempt to make the West feel the pain of the sanctions it imposed for the invasion of Ukraine.   

 With Russia’s economy facing its gravest crisis since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, Putin on March 23 hit back at the West, ordering that Russian gas exports should be paid for in roubles.   

 That move forced Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, to declare on Wednesday an “early warning” that it could be heading for a supply emergency. Germany imported 55% of its gas from Russia last year.   

 In the strongest signal yet that Russia could be preparing an even tougher response to the West’s sanctions, Russia’s House Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin suggested on Wednesday that almost Russia’s entire energy and commodity exports could soon be priced in roubles.