Germany warns of an industry shutdown if Russian gas supplies are cut off.
Economy Minister Robert Habeck said Germany may be forced to curtail or even shut down industrial capacity if Ukraine’s gas transit agreement with Russia is not extended beyond its expiry date at the end of next year.
Habeck, who is also vice-chancellor, issued a stark warning at an economic conference in eastern Germany, saying politicians should avoid “repeating the same mistake”, suggesting that the economy would not suffer without precautions to ensure the security of energy supplies.
The rules for sharing the burden of a potential gas shortage in Eastern Europe would have to be respected, meaning Germany would have to export gas there to make up the shortfall, and producers in Europe’s largest economy could limit or cut supplies, he added.
“There is no credible scenario,” Habeck said at a forum in Bad Sarov. Additional capacity – including a planned LNG terminal on Germany’s north coast, which has drawn opposition from local residents and environmental groups – would be needed to maintain supplies to both East Germany and Eastern Europe, he said.
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