Ukrainians in Germany have expressed dismay after discovering the EU nation continued to quietly rely on Russian gas for years after cutting off direct imports.
At the end of June, the EU finally banned its terminals from reselling Russian liquefied natural gas [LNG] and halted financing for two new Kremlin-backed projects.
The sanctions should signal the end of a loophole, revealed in a report the same month, that saw Germany importing Russian LNG via Belgium and the Netherlands.
At the time the arrangement was heavily criticised by the energy lead at Urgewald, one of the report’s research group authors, Moritz Leiner, who said: “In order to not continually fill Putin’s war chest the German government has to finally and firmly block Russian gas pathways into Germany. On a European level, Germany has to advocate for a ban on the import and re-export of Russian gas.”
Her words were echoed by several Ukrainians the Express spoke to during a reporting trip to Germany.
Nadiia Strakhova, who had been warmly welcomed since fleeing to the EU state when the conflict began with just a single bag of clothes, felt the situation illustrated how powerful Vladimir Putin’s regime was.
“I think that it’s very bad when there’s so many countries dependent on one country and on one man,” she told the Express
“These connections to Russia still exist. It’s not direct [as it used to be] but we still see it and feel it.
“Russia has power and money the same like it was before the war, but not directly. Too many people don’t speak about this.”
Another Ukrainian in Germany, Volodymyr Peleshak, told the Express: “I think Europe and the rest of the world needs not to depend on Russian energy resources.
“All of that is just funding their fight in their war.”
Whilst in Germany we also attempted to track down the governmental department responsible for enabling the importation of Russian gas and have them explain.
However, we soon realised that there was no singular state body overseeing the arrangement and we were bounced from one organisation to another as we sought answers.
The problem with holding a singular group accountable was that, as the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate action explains on its website, “the German gas market is characterised by a large number of privately organised operators in the areas of networks, storage operations and gas trading.
“There are currently two market areas in Germany (NCG and Gaspool), each with their own coordinator who ensures that access to the gas grid and market activities are both carried out in an efficient fashion.
“There are currently 16 gas transmission system operators in Germany. Other players are the distribution system operators, storage facility operators and commercial enterprises.”
