Baerbock promises German oil embargo

Germany wants to stop importing Russian energy resources as soon as possible and already has a clear plan to stop coal and oil imports from Russia. This is what Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on April 20 in Riga after talks with her counterparts from the three Baltic states, an Ukrinform correspondent reported. Baerbock emphasized that security in Europe means breaking free from dependence on Russia, especially in energy policy.

"I am saying very clearly that Germany will also completely stop importing Russian energy sources, including importing coal, by the end of the summer. Oil imports will be halved by the summer and reduced to zero by the end of the year," she said .

According to her, Germany will then end natural gas imports according to a unified European plan. The fact that the EU will completely halt Russian gas imports is a testament to the strength of the European community, Baerbock said.

She said she would prefer to break free from gas dependency "better today than tomorrow". Baerbock acknowledged that Germany had "made mistakes in the past" in this area, including increasing its dependence on Russia by building the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. Now, however, it is important not to look for someone to blame, but to draw the right conclusions as quickly as possible and do what should have been done eight years ago - to do without Russian gas.

"Our European response to Putin's war of aggression must be to strengthen European sovereignty, and not just on energy issues," she said.

The EU has imposed five sets of economic and individual sanctions on Russia and its officials and is preparing a sixth set of sectoral sanctions that could also cover Russian energy and oil imports.