Germany is dependent on Russia for gas supplies, but gas supplies are guaranteed this winter, German Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck told the reporters in Berlin.
“Germany has a gas dependency of 55% on Russian gas. You know that gas prices were high and the gas storage facilities were not filled enough before the winter… We used different tools during the winter to stabilize the filling level… which is now in line with average annual indicators of 2017. Now we can say that we will confidently go through this winter, and gas supply, even if prices rise again or Russia reduces or stops gas supply, it will be reliable,” the minister said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier announced that he had decided on a special operation of the Russian Federation to demilitarize Ukraine. In a televised address to the Russians, he said that the circumstances “require decisive and immediate action from us, the people’s republics of Donbass turned to Russia with a request for help.”
He added that “in this regard, in accordance with Article 51, part 7 of the UN Charter, with the sanction of the Federation Council and in pursuance of the treaties of friendship and mutual assistance with the DPR and LPR ratified by the Federal Assembly, I have decided to conduct a special military operation”. The President of the Russian Federation said that all responsibility for the bloodshed would be on the conscience of the ruling regime in Ukraine. Putin called on the Ukrainian military not to follow the criminal orders of the Ukrainian authorities, lay down their arms and go home.