Day 37: Europe faces gas deadline as Russia vows 'harsh response'

European buyers of Russian gas faced a deadline to start paying in rubles on Friday as Moscow pledged to respond to EU sanctions and limit supplies of agriculture products to unfriendly countries.

According to Press TV, Moscow's military operation in Ukraine has prompted the United States and allies to impose punishing penalties on Russian government entities, businesses and oligarchs.

A senior Foreign Ministry official said Friday Russia will respond to European Union sanctions.

"The actions of the EU will not remain unanswered. The irresponsible sanctions by Brussels are already negatively affecting the daily lives of ordinary Europeans," Nikolai Kobrinets said.

He also said Moscow will not ask the European Union to end sanctions as it has a sufficient "margin of safety”.

"The European Union is not the center of the universe," Kobrinets added.

One of President Vladimir Putin's allies warned that Russia, a major global wheat exporter, could limit supplies of agriculture products to unfriendly countries. 

"We will only be supplying food and agriculture products to our friends," Dmitry Medvedev, who served as president from 2008 to 2012, said.

"Fortunately we have plenty of them, and they are not in Europe or North America at all," said Medvedev who is now deputy secretary of Russia's Security Council.

The priority in the food supply is Russia's domestic market and price control within it, he said, adding that agriculture supplies to "friends" will be both in rubles and their national currency in an agreed proportion.

Russia already supplies wheat mainly to Africa and West Asia. The European Union and Ukraine are their main competitors in the wheat trade.

Meanwhile, Russia said Thursday it plans to expand the list of the top leadership of the European Union banned from entering the country.

The EU delegation in Moscow had been informed, it said, adding that "any hostile sanctions" from the EU and its members would elicit a "harsh response”.

The announcement came as the US administration hit a series of Russian tech firms with sanctions, including the country's largest chip maker.

The US Treasury said the bans targeted networks and technology companies that were "instrumental" to Russia's military operation in Ukraine.

ME