Germany Talks of Russia’s Embargo Cost: People’s Lives Getting Miserable 

By Staff, Agencies 

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck warned that cutting off energy supplies from Russia right now will tank the economy and make ordinary people’s lives miserable.

The dependency on Russian fossil fuels remains “comparatively high,” Habeck told ARD.

“If we flip the switch immediately, there will be supply shortages, even supply stops, mass unemployment, poverty,” Habeck warned, adding that there will be “people who will no longer be able to heat their homes, people who will run out of petrol.”

He further cautioned that “With coal, oil, and even gas, we are step by step in the process of making ourselves independent.”

In parallel, the minister noted. “But we can’t do it in an instant. That’s bitter, and it’s not a nice thing morally to confess to, but we can’t do it yet.” At the same time, Habeck said that Germany has continued to become more independent from Russian energy.

Europe has been under pressure to impose more sanctions on Russia in response to its ongoing military campaign in Ukraine.