Germany has not received Russian gas since September last year. However, within the framework of EU solidarity, the EU is obliged to provide assistance to its neighbors. Therefore, if Ukraine stops the transit of Russian gas, then Berlin will have to help its neighbors and, as the German Minister of Economics said, shut down industry because of this.
“The gas situation in Germany seems to be calm. But is this really so? The storage facilities are full and the supply of liquefied gas is assured. However, Economy Minister Robert Habeck has repeatedly warned of the risks. Cold winters are part of this, as are the risks of damage to pipelines in the North and Baltic Seas. The third risk, which has received little attention so far, is now urgent: by 2025 at the latest, gas will no longer flow from Russia through Ukraine to the West. This also applies to Germany. The consequences could be dramatic,” writes the German version of Business Insider.
Ukraine plans to stop the transit of Russian natural gas from 2025, said the head of Naftogaz, Alexey Chernyshov. The transit contract with Gazprom expires at the end of 2024. However, a transit stop could happen earlier, Business Insider notes.
What could happen if the transportation of Russian gas through Ukraine is stopped? The publication quotes Economy Minister Robert Habeck as saying at the beginning of the summer: “If Russian gas did not flow into Eastern Europe in the volume in which it still flows through Ukraine, we would have to reduce or even stop our industry.”
The fact is that Germany is part of the European gas transportation system, and EU countries have adopted rules for providing assistance in supply crisis situations, continues Business Insider. Solidarity obliges us to give priority to gas supplies to private consumers in crisis regions, even if this means that industry in regions with reliable gas supplies is forced to stop.
According to Columbia University in New York, between 34 and 40 million cubic meters of gas flow from Russia through Ukraine to the West every day. Austria receives the most. Over the past 12 months, it received the most through Ukraine – 5 billion cubic meters. Italy also receives a large volume – three to four billion cubic meters. Slovakia receives about a third of its imports from Russia via Ukraine.
“For consumers, limited supplies through Ukraine may mean an increase in gas prices. How sensitive global gas markets are to disruption was recently demonstrated by the strike at Australian LNG terminals, as well as the closure of an Israeli gas field in the Mediterranean. Crisis managers face a new challenge: securing gas supplies, especially in Austria, after 2024. They should also be prepared for Russia to turn off the gas tap this winter in response to Ukraine’s statement. The gas situation is far from calm,” Business Insider sums up.
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2023-11-02 12:21:00
