German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Thursday Western countries would continue paying for Russian gas in euros or dollars despite the Kremlin's threat to cut off supplies not paid for in rubles.

"We looked at the contracts for the gas deliveries," Scholz told reporters in Berlin.

"They say that payments are made in euros, sometimes in dollars... and I made clear in my conversation with the Russian president that that will remain the case," referring to a telephone call with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.