Despite the sanctions, Russian despot Vladimir Putin (69) continues to cash in on his gas and oil deliveries to German companies and households.
By Johannes C. Bockenheimer
The Russian energy companies receive an average of 200 million euros every day from Germany.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (63, SPD) has so far strictly rejected a gas embargo, although many neighboring European countries have been demanding exactly THAT for weeks.
Foreign countries are now losing patience with Scholz. An article in the British newspaper “The Telegraph” even calls for sanctions against Germany if Berlin doesn’t finally put an end to the bloody Putin money!
“Of course, Germany is free in its economic and political decisions. But there’s no reason the rest of the world should accept it,” the article’s author, Matthew Lynn, told BILD. Because anyone who buys German cars, chemical products or machines also pays for Russian gas. And this gas, in turn, is used to finance the Russian war.
Lynn therefore demands: “The more Russian war crimes are uncovered, the clearer it becomes: It’s time to sanction Germany.”
The British financial expert therefore proposes a six-month ban on German exports until Germany turns off the Russian gas tap. The ban could also be extended if Russia’s war with German financial aid lasted longer. Alternatively, the Briton proposes temporarily introducing punitive tariffs for German products – and transferring the proceeds to Ukraine.
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Whether Lynn will prevail with his demands? Remains to be seen.
But the fact is: In Germany, too, leading economists have long been pushing for a gas supply stop.
Economics Veronika Grimm told BILD: “The longer we wait, the worse it gets. Because the more time passes, the better Russia can prepare for a delivery stop.” A slow exit from oil and gas therefore has no sanction effect. “It must be a matter of immediately reducing European payments to Russia, preferably stopping them.”
This can be done in different ways, such as import taxes, with which Russia will withhold part of the payments by depositing the funds in escrow accounts and only disbursing them after a peace agreement. Or by an embargo.
