Boycott of Russian gas and oil ‘could cause mass poverty in Germany
Minister warns an immediate stop to supplies could hurt Germany’s population more than Putin
Philip Oltermann in Berlin
Germany has warned that an immediate boycott of Russian gas and oil supplies could hurt its own population more than Vladimir Putin, bringing mass unemployment and poverty.
“If we flip a switch immediately, there will be supply shortages, even supply stops in Germany,” the economic and energy minister Robert Habeck told public broadcaster ARD on Sunday, as Europe’s largest economy intensely searches to diversify its energy supplies in the medium term.
BERLIN FEARS MASS POVERTY