Bloomberg: Germany calls to exclude energy from anti-Russian sanctions on Ukraine
Photo: Ivan Kovalenko / Kommersant
Germany calls on the United States and European countries to make an exception for the energy sector when imposing anti-Russian sanctions on Ukraine. This is reported by Bloomberg with reference to the documents.
According to the agency, Germany is concerned that if sanctions are imposed against the energy sector, gas supplies to Europe will be threatened. It is noted that other Western European countries hold similar views.
According to one of the officials close to the German government, an exception for the energy sector may become part of the final package of sanctions agreed with the United States, which will be introduced in case of escalation in Ukraine.
At the same time, sources are confident that the exception will not affect the Russian Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline. In addition, according to Bloomberg, the package of sanctions that Germany agrees to involves travel bans and asset freezes of oligarchs, restrictions on investments in Russia, a trade ban on some state-owned Russian enterprises, which will actually force them to leave the stock markets.
Also, the agency reports, in the event of military aggression by Russia, Germany will freeze assets and ban operations for a select group of Russian banks, restrict imports from Russia of certain metals and chemicals, as well as impose restrictions on the export of some luxury goods and high-tech goods.
Earlier, US President Joe Biden announced his readiness to impose sanctions on his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the event of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. According to The Wall Street Journal, the United States is also considering options for sanctions and export restrictions against Moscow, which could negatively affect its position on international markets and, in particular, hit the ruble.
