Germany opposes blanket ban over Russian gas imports, says it would hurt EU more

As the west inches forward to intensify restrictions on the Putin administration, a top German lawmaker has warned that barring Russian fuel imports would hurt the EU more than Russia. Addressing the media on Monday, Germany’s Finance Minister Christian Lindner stated, "It is clear we must end as quickly as possible all economic ties to Russia. We must plan tough sanctions, but gas cannot be substituted in the short term. We would inflict more damage on ourselves than on them." His remarks came as the Olaf Scholz-led administration rejected the proposal of a total EU embargo on Russian fuel imports.

Emphasizing that the bloc was dealing with a war criminal, Lindner suggested an alternative method to phase out Russian fuel imports. He noted that instead of a generic ban on all energy imports from Russia, the bloc could categorically ban oil, gas, and coal. He added that doing this would give them enough time to look for fossil fuel alternatives.

EU poised to slash out Russian gas 

Earlier in March, the bloc agreed to collectively rearm and phase out Russian gas, oil, and coal "as soon as possible." Labelling the ongoing war in Ukraine as "a tectonic shift in European history," the leaders asked European nations to preserve energy. They also revealed a strategy to reduce reliance on Russian fuel which would involve lowering consumption of fossil fuels, diversifying supply chains as well as harnessing more renewable sources of energy. For this purpose, they tasked the European Commission to make proposals by the end of May.

“Reducing the energy consumption ... by 450 million Europeans makes a big chunk," European Commission President Ursula von dey Leyen said. It is worth noting that Europe was already facing a tricky test before the Russian invasion due to skyrocketing prices and a fuel shortage. Russian fuel accounts for 40% of the total European imports. 

It has been 40 days since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched what he claimed was a “special military operation to denazify” Ukraine. The war that ensued, has now left thousands dead, cities pulverized and turned the ex-soviet state into a macabre trap. The gruesome conflict has not only affected Ukraine, which was once the world’s third-largest nuclear power, but also neighbouring countries. 

(Image: AP)