Does linking to a website that sells an unrelated digital subscription violate Google Play’s Payments policy?

I am unsure whether my application actually violates Google Play’s Payments policy.

I received a notification in Play Console stating that my application will be removed from Google Play in most countries. The reason given is that the application contains a link to an external website.

The application does not link directly to a payment page. However, the linked website contains a button for purchasing a subscription to a completely separate service—an electronic newspaper. This subscription is unrelated to the application: it does not unlock any application functionality or content, and the newspaper cannot be accessed or consumed within the application.

Play Console appears to treat this as redirecting users to a payment method other than Google Play Billing.

Does this still constitute a violation of Google Play’s Payments policy, even though the subscription is for an unrelated service? To comply with the policy, do I need to remove the external website link from the application, or would removing the subscription button from the website be sufficient?

Would it be reasonable to appeal this decision and explain that the external subscription is unrelated to the application?