FDP leader Christian Lindner rejected an embargo on Russian oil and gas. “If we do without gas, oil and coal supplies from Russia, it means that prices in Western Europe and in the world will rise dramatically due to the expected shortages,” said Lindner on Sunday in the political talk “The Right Questions” in picture tv Even if Germany were to use the money, it would not be easy to buy coal, gas and oil elsewhere. Lindner warned: “In the medium term – not now, not in summer, but maybe next autumn and winter – we would have supply bottlenecks and would have to discuss very drastic measures.” At the same time, Lindner rejected considerations about tax cuts for petrol.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said of such boycott demands, a stop must last for months and be well prepared. In the ARD program “Anne Will”, the Green politician referred to Germany’s high dependence on hard coal from Russia.
The CDU foreign politician Norbert Röttgen had called for a stop to energy imports from Russia. “We must do everything in our power to support the Ukrainians in their fight against Putin and for freedom,” Röttgen wrote in a guest article in the “Tagesspiegel” (Monday). He appealed to the federal government to stop gas and oil imports from Russia “now”. CDU Vice Karin Prien supported Röttgen’s demand.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz said on Saturday: “At the moment we are not considering tightening the sanctions in the direction of our refraining from energy supplies from Russia.” Merz added: “But we are open, if this war continues, if the atrocities against the civilian population should continue, that we would then have to resort to this remedy.”