Russian space agency wants foreign partners to pay it in rubles

Russia's space agency will only accept rubles as payment from international partners, following President Vladimir Putin's for gas deliveries paid in ruble. Roscosmos/Handout via Reuters

The Russian space agency said Wednesday it will insist its international partners pay it in rubles, after President Vladimir Putin said Russia will only accept ruble payments for gas deliveries to "unfriendly countries".

"We will also conclude all our external agreements in rubles," the Roscosmos space agency head Dmitry Rogozin was quoted as saying by the official Tass news agency.