Germany reacts to Russian gas blackmail – details – latest news / NV

Gazprom made such a statement on July 25, justifying the new reduction in deliveries by the fact that another of the turbines of the gas pipeline allegedly requires scheduled repairs.

More than a month ago, Gazprom already cut supplies to 40% of Nord Stream’s capacity, which significantly reduced the volume of gas pumped into European gas storage facilities, especially in Germany (the gas pipeline originates in the Russian Vyborg and goes on land in the vicinity of the German Greifswald). And from July 11 to July 21, Russia completely stopped the gas pipeline for repair work. At that time, Gazprom explained all these problems by the need to return a gas pipeline turbine that was being repaired in Canada, which «stuck” there due to anti-Russian sanctions.

Under pressure from Germany, the Canadian government agreed to make an exception to the sanctions against Russia and send a Nord Stream turbine to Germany in order to reduce the risk that the Russian Federation would not resume gas supplies after planned technical work. However, Gazprom put forward new claims: the German company Siemens, the turbine manufacturer, cannot import it into the Russian Federation, since Gazprom de facto requires documentary guarantees to lift sanctions against such equipment. And now the Russian gas monopolist has announced a shutdown «for repairs” and the second turbine.

«The crisis created by Russia is hitting all over the world, and no one will be able to stay away,” President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said in response to these events. “All this is being done to make it as difficult as possible for Europeans to prepare for winter,” Zelensky said, urging EU states to strengthen European sanctions and “sever trade ties with Russia as much as possible.”

The greatest wave of urgent discussions was provoked by the new blow of the Kremlin in Germanywhere Moscow is now directly accused of gas blackmail.

On July 26, the leading German media cite the statement of the Minister of Economics Robert Habek, who in an interview ARD daily topics gave sharp assessments of Russia’s actions. Red tape with turbines and a new statement by Gazprom about the need for another «scheduled repairs “Habek called «farcical stories” that are simply not true. The German minister complained that Moscow «didn’t even have the guts [прямо] to say that we are in a state of economic war,” while in reality Russia «breaks contracts and blames others for it.”

Robert Habek also accused Vladimir Putin of “perfidious game”. According to the Minister of Economy of Germany, the strategy of the master of the Kremlin is obvious: “He is trying to weaken the huge support for Ukraine and drive a wedge into our society. In turn, this fuels uncertainty and pushes prices up. We counter this with unity and purposeful action. We are taking precautions to survive this winter,” the German minister assured.

Chief among these measures should be emergency plan to reduce gas consumption urgently proposed by the European Commission. The plan must be approved on July 26 at a special meeting of EU energy ministers in Brussels. The document provides for a voluntary reduction in national gas consumption in EU countries by 15% from August 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023. In addition, the possibility of declaring an alert within the EU in the event of a large-scale shortage of gas supplies is expected. DW.

It is also planned to set mandatory targets for saving gas consumption. This proposal must be approved by at least 15 of the 27 EU countries whose populations collectively account for at least 65% of the total EU population.

Meanwhile, Germany is once again analyzing what led the country to such a high dependence on Russian gas and how to counter the Russian energy war.

NV collected excerpts from fresh materials from the German press on the topic.

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Southgerman newspaper writes about what «war of nerves” due to gas supplies to Germany reaches its climaxwhile the German government considers «far-fetched” reasons that Gazprom explains the decline in pumping volumes. The publication states that Russia «significantly exacerbates the economic conflict with Germany”, announcing its intention to use only 20% of the capacity of the 1200-kilometer Nord Stream pipeline, allegedly due to turbine repairs. “The federal government considers the reasons imaginary and suspects an attempt at blackmail,” the newspaper writes.

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