Not enough without Russia
Habeck: Gas supply for winter not fixed yet
03/19/2022, 11:41 am
If deliveries from Russia were stopped, Germany would not have enough gas for all residential buildings and all of industry in the coming winter. Economics Minister Habeck is trying to change that. He is more than open to arms exports to Ukraine.
Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck does not yet see the gas supply in Germany being completely secured for the coming winter. The Greens politician said this before a trip to Qatar on Deutschlandfunk. “That means if we don’t get more gas by next winter and the supply connections from Russia are cut or tear off, we wouldn’t have enough gas to keep all houses warm and all industry running.” Habeck warned at the same time: “Well, gas is mainly used in industry at the beginning of the supply chain and then there is or there can be a kind of domino effect.”
Regarding a one-sided dependency on a supplier like Russia, Habeck said: “That was just stupid.” The minister travels to Qatar and then on to the United Arab Emirates. The trip is part of efforts to reduce Germany’s dependence on Russian gas following Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. Habeck was therefore already in Norway. Qatar is one of the world’s largest exporters of liquefied natural gas (LNG). So far, however, the vast majority has gone to Asia. In the Emirates, the main focus is on green hydrogen.
The world market for gas is tense, Habeck said on Deutschlandfunk. “The delivery quantities can of course be increased, but the supplying states have no interest in that at all.” You would have maximum profits, the prices are high with the same production costs. “In this respect, you’re already encountering some resistance.” However, this can be overcome, for example, with longer terms of supply contracts. Immediately before departure, Habeck was also confident about short-term contracts and deliveries. The hunger for gas is so great “that a good solution will certainly be found for Europe,” said Habeck.
Weapons purchases for Ukraine “natural”
The human rights situation in Qatar has been the focus of international attention, especially since the 2022 World Cup was awarded. When asked if he would give the go-ahead for possible arms purchases and the resulting exports to Ukraine, Habeck said: “Yes, of course.” Otherwise none of this makes any sense. “Where is the difference, now the material difference, whether the federal government supplies weapons from Bundeswehr stocks or Germany allows weapons from other stocks to be supplied?”
Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht had told Deutschlandfunk that the options for handing over weapons to the Bundeswehr were exhausted. “And we’re exploring what other options there are.” However, if weapons are purchased from German companies for delivery to Ukraine, “it’s not a route that goes through the Defense Ministry, but rather a route that goes through the Economics Ministry, because then we’re talking about arms exports.”