A ban on the import of Russian energy resources could lead to unpredictable consequences for Germany, the Handelsblatt newspaper writes, citing Markus Krebber, head of the German energy company RWE.
“Prolonged supply disruptions will hit German industrial capacity, while a complete cessation of imports will have unforeseen consequences for home heating,” he explained.
According to Krebber, when imposing sanctions, the country must be ready to withstand the possible consequences, therefore he considers it impossible for Germany to refuse Russian energy carriers.
As the newspaper notes, the sharp rise in gas and coal prices has already forced some companies, namely Uniper, VNG and Leag, to take out large loans to maintain liquidity.
Earlier, US President Joe Biden announced a ban on Russian energy imports.
On February 24, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin called its goal “the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years.” For this, according to him, it is planned to carry out “demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine”, to bring to justice all war criminals responsible for “bloody crimes against civilians” in Donbass.
In response, the West imposed new anti-Russian sanctions. In particular, several of the largest banks, including Sberbank and VTB, fell under them. The European Union, the USA, Canada and a number of other countries have closed the skies for Russian aircraft. A number of state-owned companies found it difficult to attract foreign capital. Sanctions have been imposed on the supply of high-tech products to Russia.