The German Minister of Economy complained on Wednesday about the 'astronomical' prices being demanded by 'friendly' countries of Germany, primarily the United States, for gas supply, instead of Russian deliveries.
– Some countries, even friendly ones, are asking for astronomical prices – said Robert Habeck in an interview with the regional daily 'Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung' on Wednesday.
– This is a problem – said the minister, urging the European Commission to 'talk' to those countries.
After the invasion of Ukraine, Russia significantly reduced gas supplies to Germany and cut them off entirely at the beginning of September. Before the conflict, Germany imported 55 percent of its gas from Russia.
To ensure its energy security and save the industry, which is a major gas consumer, Berlin had to diversify its supply sources and significantly increased its procurement of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is much cheaper to import.
The country – like the entire continent – turned to the US, and European LNG imports jumped from 28 to 45 percent between 2021 and 2022.
Habeck specifically targeted American suppliers.
– The US turned to us when oil prices exploded (…) I think such solidarity would be beneficial for amortizing gas prices – said the minister.
Berlin is also calling on the European Union to coordinate gas purchases to lower prices.
