French energy and environment minister Barbara Pompili said on Monday that the EU will continue to pay in euros or dollars for Russian gas ahead of a meeting with other energy ministers from European Union member countries in Brussels.

Pompili said a new package of sanctions against Russia is being prepared but won't be on agenda of today's meeting which will focus exclusively on gas issues.

The energy ministers arrived for an emergency meeting to discuss the bloc's energy supply a few days after Russia halted gas supply to Poland and Bulgaria for refusing to pay in rubles for Russian gas.