“We must act here”
Habeck: Reduce dependency on Russia’s gas
2/5/2022 4:23 am
Against the background of the Ukraine crisis, Economics Minister Habeck advocates not relying too much on Russia for gas imports. Otherwise Germany threatens to become a “plaything”. The Green politician is critical of the pending commissioning of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck wants to reduce dependence on Russian gas. “We have to improve our precautions for next winter,” said the Green politician to the newspapers Funke-Mediengruppe and the French newspaper “Ouest-France”. The geopolitical situation is forcing Germany to “create other import options and diversify supplies, including infrastructural issues.” That is security policy.
“We have to act here and protect ourselves better. If we don’t do that, we become a pawn.” Habeck continued to criticize that the gas market was completely deregulated. “So far we haven’t had any state influence. It can’t stay that way,” he said. At the same time, Habeck warned of the consequences of commissioning the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea. “Geopolitically, Nord Stream 2 not only increases dependence on Russian gas, but also the concentration on a supply route that is vulnerable,” he said. Nord Stream 2 increases the need to diversify gas supplies.
“The last few weeks and the conflict in eastern Ukraine have increased our concern that Russia will also use its gas supplies against German interests.” Should Russia attack Ukraine, “every sanction is conceivable that is suitable for forcing Russia to withdraw,” said Habeck. The situation is currently precarious, the aim must be de-escalation. “At the same time, it’s right that the US and the European Union say in great agreement: If Russia invades Ukraine, it will pay a high economic price for it.”