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Robert Habeck has so far rejected an energy embargo for economic reasons
Photo: IMAGO/Chris Emil Janssen / IMAGO/Chris Emil Janssen
It can help if a punishment also hurts the person imposing it so that someone who has been sanctioned can see that you mean it.
It is therefore remarkable the words with which Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck has now defended the German government's resistance to the imposition of an embargo on energy imports from Russia because of the Ukraine war.
"We can only adopt measures that I know will not lead to serious economic damage in Germany," said the Green politician on ZDF's "heute journal".
And: »That would be the case if we stopped letting oil, coal and gas into this country immediately«.
In the event of an immediate boycott, Habeck warned that Germany would then have to expect dramatic economic effects – and an economic downturn and numerous unemployed people.
“The point here is to ward off economic damage that would then bind us for years and also paralyze us politically.
A five percent economic slump – if that were the case – is more than the Covid pandemic.«
Ukrainian Ambassador: No to import ban "morally unacceptable"
While the federal government and other European countries have so far spared the Russian energy sector from sanctions because of their dependence, the USA and Great Britain have announced import bans on Russian oil and gas.
Before the EU summit in Versailles in the afternoon, the pressure on Germany to stop energy imports from Russia is growing.
In view of the high number of war victims among the civilian population, the German government's no to an import ban was "morally unacceptable," said the Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin, Andriy Melnyk.
"We call on the Germans to make the only right decision and to introduce this embargo immediately to put an end to Putin's war against Ukrainian women and children."
British Foreign Minister Liz Truss has also instructed all G7 countries to refrain from Russian energy imports.
She also called for sanctions against Russia to be doubled.
The Russian attack is comparable to the attacks of September 11, 2001. "The way we are reacting today will lay the foundation for this new era," said excerpts from a speech in Washington.
Former Federal President Joachim Gauck also believes that stopping Russian energy imports makes sense.
"I can imagine that very well," said Gauck on the ARD talk show "Maischberger".
This is "a variant that should be seriously considered", which suits him better than the current situation.
The loss of prosperity is bearable, said Gauck - and took up one of the hotly debated demands for days to break away from Russian dependence.
“We can also freeze for freedom for once.
And we can also endure a few years that we have less happiness and zest for life.«
Scholz points to Europe's greater dependency
At the same time, Germany is a social constitutional state that cares for the people most affected.
“A general dip in our affluent lives is something people can endure.
We have endured other problems and we have overcome them.«
The federal government does not consider this an option.
Habeck previously said on ZDF that it was not just about “loss of comfort in the individual area”, which might still be acceptable.
He also pointed to the dependency on oil and gas for many industrial inputs.
It could still be weeks and months before you are at a point where you can free yourself from Russia's grip on energy supply.
Nevertheless, the federal government is working flat out to ensure that this also succeeds.
Among other things, LPG imports from other countries are planned.
Habeck also drew a connection between the current discussion and the need to expand renewable energies: "As far as the exit from fossil energies is concerned, this crisis is certainly another reminder, an accelerator," he said.
“Now we are finally discussing them from a security policy point of view.”
Like Habeck, Chancellor Olaf Scholz again ruled out an import ban.
The USA is an exporter of gas and oil, which cannot be said for Europe as a whole, emphasized the SPD politician.
"And that's why the things that can be done are also different."
Germany gets 55 percent of its imported natural gas and around a third of its imported oil from Russia.
In the entire EU, the share is around 40 percent for natural gas and almost 30 percent for oil.
The meeting of the heads of state and government of the EU should, among other things, be about making the international community less dependent on Russian oil, gas and coal imports.
Due to the uncertainties caused by the war and the growing demand due to the economic recovery after the pandemic, energy prices are currently rising sharply.
Apr/dpa/AFP
