Scholz: Boycotting Russian energy is currently not possible
Created: 03/09/2022, 16:56
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz currently sees no possibility of a boycott of Russian energy supplies.
© Odd Andersen/POOL AFP/dpa
The US no longer purchases oil from Russia.
Should Germany go along with it?
Even if the chancellor wanted to, dependence on Russia is currently too high.
Not everyone wants to put up with it.
Berlin - The federal government sees no possibility for an immediate boycott of Russian energy supplies along the lines of the USA.
The USA is an exporter of gas and oil, which cannot be said for Europe as a whole, stressed Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in Berlin in a joint press conference with Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
"And that's why the things that can be done are also different."
If economic relations in this area no longer function as they have in the past decades, Germany will face short-term challenges that will have to be overcome, said Scholz.
As early as December he had discussed with those involved that one had to prepare for the situation, "that it would be complicated".
The work has already started.
Russian gas: Alliance of activists calls for delivery stop
The United States banned oil imports from Russia on Tuesday in response to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.
Great Britain first wants to reduce its oil imports from Russia by the end of the year and then stop importing oil from there.
A broad alliance of experts and activists called for the end of gas, oil and coal supplies from Russia to the European Union.
"We are all financing this war," says an open letter from environmental activists, scientists, actresses and political and economic experts to the federal government.
"Every day, as EU countries, we pay the Russian leadership more than 500 million euros for the import of oil, gas and coal." Germany is one of the largest contributors in the EU.
"Turn off the money supply to the Russian leadership," the alliance demanded.
Habeck: “Reason no longer reigns” in the Kremlin
In addition to a ban on imports of Russian energy by Germany, there is also the possibility that Russia will stop exporting gas, oil and coal as a reaction to the sanctions imposed.
"Nothing is out of the question," said Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) on Tuesday evening in an "ARD" focal point.
He does not consider an energy embargo from the Russian side to be reasonable and therefore not realistic.
In the Kremlin, however, "obviously reason no longer rules".
Rather, “decisions guided by emotions” would be made there.
Habeck again warned urgently of the economic consequences that a German embargo on Russian energy supplies would have.
Germany cannot compare itself with the USA here.
The partners there are aware that Germany and Europe cannot impose such an embargo “without risking considerable economic upheaval”.
Gazprom: Gas demand in Europe has increased
Saxony's Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer again rejected a boycott of gas from Russia.
"The destructive effect of these extremely high, completely out of control energy prices on the German economy, on the European economy, on all of us as consumers, would be so devastating that you cannot go this route," said the CDU politician in the ZDF "Morgenmagazin".
If Germany pulled out of the comparatively cheap supply contracts with Russia, new contracts would have to be concluded on much worse terms.
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Russian energy giant Gazprom said it would continue to supply gas in bulk for transit through Ukraine.
According to the Interfax agency, Gazprom spokesman Sergey Kupriyanov said the daily delivery volume on Wednesday was 109.5 million cubic meters, as contractually agreed.
Customer demand in Europe has increased significantly.
dpa