Germany, UK not to return to former energy ties with Russia after war in Ukraine
The relevant statement was made by Bloomberg, referring to German and British officials, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
“This is a relationship that has come to an end,” Germany’s Ambassador to the UK Miguel Berger said at the Energy Intelligence Forum in London on Wednesday.
UK Minister for Energy and Net Zero Graham Stuart added: “There will be no return.”
According to Bloomberg, Europe has slashed its reliance on Russian energy since the invasion of Ukraine. The region introduced bans on the import of coal and oil from Russia last year. Natural gas supplies also dropped significantly, with the Nord Stream pipeline initially halted by Russia, then damaged by subsea explosions. At the moment, Russia contributes less than 10% of the region’s energy supply compared with more than a third before the war.
For the UK, that’s not a huge change because Russia provided just 4% of its gas and 9% of its oil in 2021. For Germany it’s been a major upheaval, depriving the country of about half of its gas supplies.
Berger mentioned that the situation is “very challenging”, as gas prices will remain higher than before Russia’s war, creating “constant pressure for Germany and its industry.”
Photo: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg
