:quality(75)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/elcomercio/TDJYDT3LO5CJTPNO6OPARQI3PI.jpg "Olaf Scholz admits that Germany’s energy link with Russia cannot be severed immediately")
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz admitted on Monday that Germany cannot break “overnight” the ties with Russia in terms of energy despite the fact that tireless work is being done to achieve alternatives.
“Our country works with its partners inside and outside the European Union to develop alternatives to Russian energy sources. But that is not achieved overnight. For this reason, it is a conscious decision to maintain the relations of companies in energy matters”said scholz.
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“Currently there is no other way to guarantee Europe’s energy supply for heat generation, mobility, electricity supply and industry. Therefore, it is of fundamental importance for services of general interest and the daily life of our citizens”he said in a statement transmitted by the Foreign Ministry.
The German Chancellor adds: “All our steps are designed in such a way that they hit Russia hard and are sustainable in the long term. Europe deliberately exempted from sanctions the energy supplies of Russia”.
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According to figures from the Federal Statistical Office 55 percent of the gas consumed in Germany is imported from Russia.
in the statement scholz start by noting that Germany welcomes all international efforts and the reaction with heavy sanctions to the Russian attack on Ukraine.
“The sanctions against financial institutions, the central bank and more than 500 people are clear. The same goes for limitations on the export of important goods,” he noted.
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scholz He said that all the measures are designed to affect more Russia what to Germany and the EU and that, for the time being, the energy supply cannot be guaranteed in any other way than with imports from Russia.
“That is why the energy sector was consciously excluded from the sanctions,” he insisted.
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The largest bank in RussiaSberbank, and the third party, Gazprombank, are not among the banks that have been excluded from the SWIFT system so that Germany and other countries can continue to pay for gas imports.
EU countries are estimated to pay Russia around €600 million a day for gas imports. The main importer is Germany.
Some of the gas from Russia comes through pipelines through Ukraine and Poland and some through the controversial Nord Stream I goes through the Baltic.
A second gas pipeline across the Baltic, Nord Stream II, is complete but its operating license has been frozen by Germany in reaction to the war in Ukraine.
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Source: Elcomercio
