Germany: “We could totally ban Russian oil in the next few days”
Germany has already cut Russian oil imports by more than 20%, with officials now spreading optimism that it may only be a matter of days before the country is capable of a full embargo on Russian oil.
German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said Tuesday that a full embargo is "manageable" and that the country hopes to find a replacement for Russian oil within days. According to Habeck, Germany is now "very, very close" to making a complete Russian oil embargo a reality.
So far, Germany has reduced Russian oil imports to around 12% of its total oil imports, down from 35% before Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine in late February.
Currently the East German refinery in Schwedt is owned by Rosneft, a Russian state-owned company, and feeds only Russian oil, as well as another East German refinery in Leuna, according to Euractiv , also because they are directly connected by pipeline.
Instead of relying on Russian pipelines, the German Ministry of Economy told the press that deliveries would have to take place via port and then truck and train, and that the Polish port of Gdansk would be the key partner to perform this function. Obviously, oil, which travels by ship, is easily replaceable, even if perhaps not at the same price. On the contrary, rumors of suspension of European imports of black gold from Russia have caused its price to rise on international markets.
It is no coincidence that this announcement coincides with another important change of course in Berlin, namely the supply of heavy weapons: on Tuesday, the German government announced that it would supply Ukraine with heavy German-made military equipment, with a total political reversal. compared to previous decisions.
German Defense Minister Christina Lambrecht announced the move during a keynote address at Ramstein Air Base in Germany at the start of a US-hosted defense conference on Ukraine.
"Yesterday we decided that Germany will make it possible to deliver the 'Gepard' anti-aircraft tanks to Ukraine," said German Defense Minister Lambrecht, as reported by DW.
"Germany, along with its allies, stands firmly on the side of its Ukrainian friends who are in dire need," he said, acknowledging "criticism of Germany in recent weeks," Lambrecht said.
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The article Germany: "We could totally ban Russian oil in the next few days" comes from ScenariEconomici.it .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/la-germania-potremmo-mettere-totalmente-al-bando-il-petrolio-russo-nei-prossimi-giorni/ on Wed, 27 Apr 2022 08:00:50 +0000.