German officials said Feb. 26 they were looking for a “targeted and functional” way to ban Russia from the international financial payment system SWIFT, but it remains unclear what impact such a move could have on oil and gas flows. Any actions by the US or EU to cut Russia …
Read More »Germany Blocks €9.5bn Nord Stream 2 Pipeline amid Russia-Ukraine Crisis
Germany has moved ahead to block the €9.5bn Nord Stream 2 pipeline amid the growing military tensions between Russia and Ukraine. In a blow to the gas pipeline project, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has suspended its certification process after Moscow announced recognition of the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk in …
Read More »German Chancellor Halts Approval of Gas Pipeline Nord Stream 2 after Russia’s Actions
Germany said Tuesday it will halt the certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline designed to bring natural gas from Russia directly to Europe after President Putin recognized breakaway regions in east Ukraine and said Russian troops would move into the area to act as peacekeepers. Germany’s Chancellor Olaf …
Read More »German Chancellor Says the West has to ‘Work very Hard’ to Find Energy Sources beyond Russia
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has told CNBC that the West has to work “very hard” to find alternative sources of energy beyond Russia as talks of potential sanctions intensify. Speaking to CNBC’s Hadley Gamble at the annual Munich Security Conference, Scholz stressed that much of the West is reliant upon …
Read More »Germany Running out of Natural Gas
Natural gas reserves in Germany, which has one of the highest underground storage capacities in Europe, have fallen to historically low levels compared with previous years. “The occupancy rate is now around 35%,” a representative of the Ministry of Economy said during a briefing on Monday, adding that the government …
Read More »Nord Stream 2 can Ensure Germany’s Leadership in Europe
The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline can ensure Germany’s leadership in the European economy for decades to come, and it is important for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to maintain it, Valdai discussion club program director Timofey Bordachev told TASS. The expert drew attention to the joint press conference of Scholz …
Read More »Russian Gas Flows again from Poland to Germany via Yamal Pipeline
Gas flows from Poland to Germany via the Russian Yamal-Europe pipeline resumed on Wednesday morning after it had been switched in a reverse mode in December, data from German network operator Gascade showed. Westbound gas flows were expected to resume after Gazprom booked transit capacity on Tuesday, restoring the normal …
Read More »Nord Stream 2: Russia-Germany Gas Pipeline Becomes a Geopolitical Lever
The crisis surrounding Ukraine has been a harsh reminder to Europeans of just how dependent they are on Russian energy supplies. While the European Union weighs its options for a united and robust response to Russia if Vladimir Putin decides to invade Ukraine, the bloc is feeling a new sense …
Read More »Germany Warns Plan to Label Nuclear Energy Sustainable Is Risky and Expensive
Germany has objected to draft EU plans to label nuclear power plants as an environmentally friendly energy source that can help countries reach their climate change goals. Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s new three-party coalition government voiced its objections in a formal letter to Brussels, ministers said on Saturday. The EU aims …
Read More »Germany Threatens to Take Measures against Russian Pipeline in Case of Escalation in Ukraine
If there is a further escalation from Russia in Ukraine, Berlin together with its partners “will take joint suitable measures” against the Nord Stream II gas pipeline, Germany’s foreign minister warned on Monday. Speaking at a news conference in the capital Kyiv after meeting with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, …
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