Could other countries replace Russia in supplying natural gas to Germany?
The German industry will not be able to abandon Russian gas in the near future, as neither Qatar, Algeria, nor the United States can replace Russian supplies, said Vladislav Belov, Deputy Director of the European Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The German Economy Ministry said earlier on Monday that it was continuing to study Russian President Vladimir Putin's decree on gas payments in rubles and was holding close consultations with partners, but Berlin remained firm in its position that payments would be made in euros and dollars as per the contract.
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"Germany is dependent on Russian gas, oil, and coal... While Russian oil and coal can be more or less replaced from other sources, gas transported via pipelines is difficult to replace... Neither Qatar, Algeria, nor the US are capable of compensating for the shortfall (in German industry)," Belov said during the discussion "Selling gas in rubles: a new reality for Europe?" held at the international media outlet Rossyia Segodnya.
Paradoxical situation
At the same time, experts noted the paradoxical nature of the situation: Germany is demanding that Qatar and the US increase their liquefied natural gas supplies, while the "green policy" aims at rejecting gas, and the LNG receiving terminals were built for a 50-year term.
Belov concluded: "And it is very likely that Europe's partners, not just Russia, will once again be standing by the same old pig trough."
He also explained that currently, most of the Russian gas in Germany is consumed by households – for heating, electricity, and gas stoves. The rest is consumed by the chemical industry.
