50% of Germans believe sanctions harm more than Russia – poll
36% of poll respondents believed that the limitations of sanctions were painful for both countries.
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50% of Germans believe sanctions harm more than Russia – poll
An opinion poll done by the INSA pollster for Bild am Sonntag recorded that nearly half of Germans believe that anti-Russian sanctions affect their own country more than Russia.
On July 15, 1,003 people took part in the survey. 47% say that the sanctions have harmed Germany more than Russia. Only 12% are of the opposite opinion. Another 36% believe the sanctions are painful for both countries.
Furthermore, 74% of respondents believe that Germany will soon face an economic crisis and unemployment. Consumer costs in the country are expected to rise by 83%. Meanwhile, 63% anticipate acute gas shortages resulting in gas supply limitations for enterprises and businesses, while 83% anticipate constrained gas supplies for residential families.
Earlier, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz acknowledged the impact of anti-Russian sanctions in his statement at the opening of the Hannover Messe trade expo.
"They [the sanctions] are hitting the Russian leadership and the Russian economy hard, and it gets harder and harder every day," the Chancellor stated.
He added that "simultaneously, we are making sure that they [sanctions] don't hit us and our partners in Europe harder than Russia."
The Chancellor acknowledged that economic losses are an issue for many companies that support sanctions, but claimed that more "serious damage" is being avoided by helping with loans, premiums, and aid packages. However, Scholz noted that despite this, the losses continue.
EU cuts Russian coal imports
As the European Union (EU) prepares to impose a total embargo on Russian coal in August, the bloc imported 48% less thermal coal from Moscow in June than in May, according to information provided to the Financial Times by CRU consultancy.
According to the commodity consultant, Russian coal exports to the EU increased steadily during the spring as the bloc depleted all available storage, before plummeting to 1.7 million tonnes last month.
After imposing a ban on seaborne oil imports from Moscow and reducing natural gas piped through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, Europe has become increasingly reliant on Russian coal for electricity. The group is now attempting to replace Russian oil with oil from South Africa and Australia.
