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The supply of Russian gas to Germany via the “Nord Stream 1” gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea has been interrupted for 10 days.
Operators of the Russian-backed pipeline say the move is due to annual maintenance work, but German ministers believe the shutdown is politically motivated to put pressure on Berlin.
Last month, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said Russian President Vladimir Putin was using gas “as a weapon” in response to EU sanctions.
In mid-June, Russian state gas firm Gazprom cut gas flows through Nord Stream 1 to just 40% of the pipeline’s capacity.
The German government is concerned that gas supplies could be reduced or cut off permanently.
According to the BBC, the head of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, has warned that Russia could completely cut off gas supplies to Europe and that Europe must prepare now.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, Germany has reduced its dependence on Russian gas from 55% to 35% and wants to completely stop using gas from Russia.
But if Russian supplies are suddenly cut off overnight, it could plunge Germany into a major recession, because entire industries rely on the gas and most German homes use it for heating.
Germany’s gas storage facilities are currently about 64% full, German broadcaster ZDF reports.
German households and key services such as hospitals will have priority for gas supplies under a government emergency plan.
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