Germany is triggering an early warning level for gas supplies amid Russia’s continued demand to be paid in rubles after launching the war in Ukraine. A crisis team is being established, with Germany's gas storages currently filled to about 25% capacity.
, arguing it would undermine the sanctions imposed against Moscow over the war in Ukraine.
“There have been several comments from the Russian side that if this doesn’t happen, then the supplies will be stopped,” he told reporters in Berlin, adding that Moscow is expected to unveil new rules for gas payments on Thursday. “In order to be prepared for this situation I have today triggered the early warning level.”
Germany has taken steps in recent weeks to reduce its dependence on fossil fuel supplies from Russia because of the war in Ukraine.“On average we in Germany imported 55% of our gas from Russia in recent years, and this has now already gone down to 40%,” Habeck said. Berlin has signed deals with several supplies of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, which is shipped to neighboring European countries and then pumped to Germany.