Poland and Bulgaria have been without Russian gas since Wednesday – and the Kremlin is also threatening other countries. Meanwhile, there was a rapprochement in the German dispute over the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine.
In the gas dispute between Russia and the West, the state-owned Gazprom company has suspended its deliveries to Poland and Bulgaria. “The tap was turned off,” said Poland’s climate minister, Anna Moskwa, on Polish radio on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the federal government and the opposition are reaching out to each other in the struggle over the course of the Ukraine war: the government factions of the traffic light coalition and the Union as the largest opposition faction want to pass a joint motion in the Bundestag this Thursday to support Ukraine with heavy weapons. Given the strained relations between Russia and the US, there was a diplomatic surprise: the two countries carried out a long-discussed prisoner swap.
“The faucet was turned off”
The Russian state-owned company Gazprom confirmed on Wednesday that it would stop supplying gas to Bulgaria and Poland. The reason is that the companies PGNiG and Bulgargaz did not pay in rubles on time. Sofia and Warsaw, on the other hand, emphasized that they had fulfilled their obligations. All payments required by the contract were made on time, the Bulgarian government said. The decision will initially have no effect on the Federal Republic. “Currently, security of supply is guaranteed here,” said the Ministry of Economic Affairs. All in all, the gas flows are stable.
The background to the gas conflict with Russia is a dispute over the terms of payment. In March, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin demanded that Western countries must open accounts with Gazprombank effective April 1 in order to pay for deliveries. Otherwise, these would be set for “unfriendly” countries. According to a decree signed by Putin, payments can still be deposited into the Russian account in euros or dollars. Gazprombank converts the money into rubles and transfers the amount in Russian currency to Gazprom. After the supply stop for Poland and Bulgaria, Russia threatened other countries with similar steps. A corresponding decree by President Vladimir Putin will be implemented, said his spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to the Interfax news agency.
Due to the sharp rise in energy prices in Germany, the federal cabinet launched a billion-dollar relief package for citizens on Wednesday. Train and car drivers will benefit, as will almost all workers. But it is controversial whether the aid can even come close to cushioning the skyrocketing prices. That will ultimately also depend on the course of the war – and a possible stop in the supply of Russian gas.
Zelenskyy criticizes “energy blackmail”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has sharply criticized the Russian freeze on gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria. “This week the Russian leadership started a new series of energy blackmail against the Europeans,” Zelenskyy said in a video message. The delivery stop is “another argument that nobody in Europe can hope for normal economic cooperation with Russia”. “Russia considers not only gas, but also any other trade as a weapon.” For this, Moscow is just waiting for a favorable moment.
“Either to blackmail the Europeans politically. Or to strengthen the Russian war machine, which sees a united Europe as the goal, »said Zelenskyj. The sooner Europe recognizes that it cannot be dependent on Russia in trade, the sooner the stability of the European markets will be guaranteed. Compromise in the debate on arms deliveries
Debate on arms deliveries
After a heated debate about the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine, the Union faction now wants to join the motion submitted by the traffic light government – and withdraw its own. The two sides had agreed on this, the German Press Agency in Berlin learned from Union circles. A corresponding compromise was also confirmed by the traffic light coalition of SPD, Greens and FDP. The Union faction leadership had previously mentioned decoupling from the planned 100 billion euro special fund for the Bundeswehr as a condition for their approval of a joint application. According to information from Union circles, the planned special fund should now be mentioned neutrally.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock defended the decision to deliver heavy weapons to Ukraine – also against the background of warnings of an impending nuclear escalation. When asked what role the threat of nuclear war played in the decision, the Greens politician said in the Bundestag that Russia’s next step in the war is entirely at Putin’s discretion. Baerbock added: “That’s why we can’t completely rule out anything.” On Tuesday, Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) promised Ukraine the delivery of the Gepard anti-aircraft tank from industrial stocks.
Russia and USA with prisoner exchange
Amid the Ukraine conflict, Russia and the US have surprisingly carried out a long-discussed prisoner swap. Russia released American Trevor Reed and received Konstantin Yaroshenko, who had been convicted in the United States, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry. US President Joe Biden confirmed Reed’s release in Washington. Biden and his Russian counterpart Putin discussed the exchange at their summit in Geneva in June 2021. In view of the tense relations between the two countries, whose relationship has once again drastically deteriorated as a result of the Ukraine war, the development is particularly unexpected.
Pressure on former Chancellor Schröder is growing
Meanwhile, former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder is coming under increasing pressure because of his attitude towards Putin. In addition to being expelled from the SPD, Schröder is now threatened with further consequences. The call for sanctions against Schröder grew louder on Wednesday. The Bundestag is also discussing limiting the equipment for former chancellors. In an interview with the Berlin boss of the “New York Times”, Schröder had fueled outrage at his behavior towards Russia. SPD leader Saskia Esken had already asked Schröder to leave the party on Monday. “He earns his money working for Russian state companies,” she noted.
Mysterious attacks in Transnistria
Is another front looming in the back of Ukraine? There are mysterious attacks in the Moldovan separatist region of Transnistria. Transnistria and Russia hold neighboring Ukraine responsible for this, while the Kiev leadership assumes Russian attempts to stir up unrest in Ukraine’s rear. But no shots were fired across the border, Transnistrian Commissioner Oleg Belyakov told TASS agency. Since Monday there have been explosions in several places in Transnistria, and two radio masts have been destroyed.
A Western expert currently assesses the risk of an escalation in Transnistria as low. The Russian troops there are too weak to advance against the Republic of Moldova or Ukraine, said Marcus Keupp from the Military Academy at ETH Zurich.
Steinmeier warns Kremlin: NATO will defend every inch
After talks with Slovakian President Zuzanna Caputova, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned the Kremlin not to underestimate NATO’s readiness to defend itself. “Our democracies are strong and well-fortified,” he said. “They are ready and able to defend every inch of Alliance territory – together.” This unmistakable signal also comes from the German and Dutch squadrons of the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system stationed in Slovakia.
Caputova expressly thanked Steinmeier for Germany’s military assistance. “They say you can tell who your friend is when you’re in trouble.”
Source: Stern
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