Germany unable to heat homes next winter: Minister
As Germany was already facing a winter gas crisis, fears rise that the risks will get even bigger without Russian gas supplies.
German Economy Minister Robert Habeck warned, on Saturday, that Germany cannot yet halt Russian gas supplies, or it will face shortages that will prevent the country from supporting its industry and heating homes next winter.
"This means that if we don't get more gas by next winter, and supplies from Russia are interrupted or disrupted, we won't have enough gas to heat our homes and support industry," Habeck stressed.
He went on to say that gas is used primarily at the beginning of the supply chain, thus any disruptions could lead to a "domino effect."
Germany has lately declared its intention to diversify its energy supply sources in order to reduce its so-called energy dependence on Russia in the midst of the military operation in Ukraine.
It is worth mentioning that Russia is still supplying coal, oil, and gas to Germany.
On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a special military operation to demilitarize and de-Nazify Ukraine, responding to calls from the people's republics of Donetsk and Lugansk for help in countering the aggression of Ukrainian forces, which has been ongoing since 2014.
In response, the United States and its allies imposed broad sanctions on Russia, including restrictions on the Russian central bank, export controls, and a ban on all Russian flights not to mention that many foreign corporations have ceased operations in Russia.