German electricity bills finance Putin's Ukraine war - new figures show the millions dimension

Created: 03/05/2022Updated: 03/05/2022 12:57 p.m

By: Lisa Mayerhofer, Christoph Gschoßmann

Germany is co-financing Vladimir Putin's Russian war - through its gas purchases.

© Jens Büttner/dpa

Dependence on Russian gas is an omnipresent issue.

How much are we really paying Putin?

New figures show the extent.

Update from March 5, 12:27 p.m .:

Vladimir Putin is also financing his war in Ukraine through natural gas supplies.

How much does Germany really pay Russia?

There are new numbers after climate activist Luisa Neubauer spoke to Markus Lanz of $700 million (€639 million) per day from the West.

According to the renowned Brussels think tank Bruegel, Germany is currently paying around 200 million euros to Russia for natural gas.

That would be more than 5.6 billion euros a month.

But the prices are rising - so the number could soon increase dramatically - there is talk of up to 600 million euros a day.

But there is also good news: If gas suddenly stopped flowing from Russia, Europe would probably be able to deal with it.

"If the EU is forced or willing to bear the cost, it should be possible to replace Russian gas as early as next winter without destroying economic activity, freezing people, or disrupting electricity supplies."

Gas storage 30 percent full: "Sufficient for the coming months"

The economist Veronika Grimm explained in the

that the gas storage tanks are 30 percent full: “That is sufficient for the coming months.

But for the next winter we would have to take precautions immediately, that could also be organized.

Germany and Europe would have to procure gas on the world market, presumably one would have to rely on the cooperation of other countries, since the production volumes are largely tied to long-term contracts.

When generating electricity, coal-fired power plants could step in for gas-fired power plants, so gas could be saved.

The expansion of solar and wind power would be important in the medium term.”

Similar voices come from German politics.

Prof. Jens Südekum (46), advisor to Economics Minister Robert Habeck, told the newspaper: "If Putin suddenly turns off the gas tap, that would not be a problem in the short term, because winter will soon be over and we still have reserves.

It won't be difficult until next winter.

In order to close the gap, all registers would have to be pulled out.

Energy has to be saved and gas has to be bought from other countries.

The expansion of renewable energies would also have to be pushed forward drastically.”

Western utility bills are funding Putin's war against Ukraine

First report from March 4, 2022, July 11:

Hamburg – There is war in Ukraine* and at “Markus Lanz” the guests discuss the consequences and consequences of the Russian attack on the country.

The Fridays for Future activist Luisa Neubauer found particularly clear words.

Neubauer at Markus Lanz: German electricity bills pay for the Ukraine war

She criticized that, on the one hand, weapons were being sent to Ukraine*.

On the other hand, people also write Putin "a check for his gas, which he sends us, knowing full well that his army will also be equipped with it," said Neubauer.

The Ukraine war* is a “fossil war” financed with coal and gas.

The EU and US would normally pay Putin about $700 million a day for coal, oil and gas.

"Therefore, German electricity bills are partly financing Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine," concluded the climate activist at Markus Lanz, calling this "a weird situation."

She called for a complete renunciation of energy sources from Russia and a faster switch to renewable energies.

In fact, Germany currently gets 55 percent of its gas and 42 percent of its oil from Russia - even during the Ukraine war.

And the main source of income of Russia are just such exports.

Sanctions and Russia expert Janis Kluge from the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik explained in the

that Russia would earn 500 to 700 million dollars a day from oil exports. 

Habeck defends energy imports from Russia in the Ukraine war

"With great regret," said Economy Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) on Thursday in Berlin that Germany "is dependent on Russian energy imports."

The government is striving to “become independent of it as quickly as possible”.

What has been "consciously built up" over the past ten to 15 years, namely increasing dependence on Russia, "cannot be completely changed in a few days or three months," stressed Habeck.

The energy supplies from Russia would be needed to create energy security and price stability in Germany.

It is also about ensuring social stability in Germany, the minister continued.

Nevertheless, solutions are being worked on to reduce dependency.

However, this has not yet been "succeeded". 

Ex-diplomat with Markus Lanz: Putin could simply turn off the gas

According to Neubauer, both the political will and the strategy would still be missing "how we can achieve this independence." The climate activist asked Markus Lanz in the group: "Where is the energy crisis team, which deals with the best economists in put this country together and say: A, B, C - that will be done now so that we can move towards independence in the next few weeks?"

Fellow guest and ex-diplomat Rüdiger von Fritsch explained: "I'm afraid that Vladimir Putin could create this situation that Ms. Neubauer wants as early as tomorrow." The Russian President could simply stop the gas supplies.

Then you have to “explain to the pensioner in Wanne-Eickel why she should sit with the cold heating for the third winter.” 

This visibly upsets Neubauer.

Von Fritsch should "leave the ghost scenarios of the freezing pensioner in the basement," she said angrily in Markus Lanz's group.

And also: "In concrete terms, freezing is not on the agenda for people in Germany." Von Fritsch remains skeptical - especially when it comes to the question of how to deal with the Russian President: "Putin lives with a completely distorted perception* of reality.

There's no one left to check him, you have to ask yourself whether someone is still advising him.”