Ukrainians in Germany have expressed their dismay that their EU country remained quietly dependent on Russian gas for years, despite stopping direct imports.
At the end of June, the EU finally banned its terminals from reselling Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) and stopped financing two new projects supported by the Kremlin.
The sanctions are likely to signal the end of a legal loophole revealed in a report the same month that led to Germany importing Russian liquefied natural gas via Belgium and the Netherlands.
Moritz Leiner, energy expert at urgewald and one of the authors of the report, strongly criticized the agreement at the time: “In order to prevent Putin’s war chest from continuing to fill, the German government must finally and decisively block the Russian gas routes to Germany. At the European level, Germany must campaign for a ban on the import and re-export of Russian gas.”
Her words were repeated by several Ukrainians with whom the Express spoke during a reporting trip to Germany.
Nadiia Strakhova has been given a warm welcome since she fled to the EU state at the beginning of the conflict with only a bag full of clothes. For her, the situation shows how powerful Vladimir Putin’s regime is.
“I think it’s very bad that so many countries are dependent on one country and one man,” she told the Express.
“These connections with Russia still exist. They are no longer direct (as they used to be), but we still see and feel them.”
“Russia has the same power and money as before the war, but not directly. Too many people don’t talk about it.”
Another Ukrainian in Germany, Volodymyr Peleschak, told the Express: “I believe that Europe and the rest of the world do not need to be dependent on Russian energy resources.
“All this is just to finance their fight in their war.”
From our stay in Germany, we also tried to contact the government agency responsible for facilitating the import of Russian gas and obtain explanations.
However, we soon realized that there was no unified government agency overseeing this arrangement, and we were passed from one organization to another in our search for answers.
The problem with holding a single group responsible is that, as the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection explains on its website, “the German gas market is characterized by a large number of privately organized operators in the areas of networks, storage operations and gas trading.
“There are currently two market areas in Germany (NCG and Gaspool), each with its own coordinator who ensures that both access to the gas network and market activities are handled efficiently.
“There are currently 16 gas transmission system operators in Germany. Other players include distribution system operators, storage operators and commercial enterprises.”
