Poland To Cut All Russian Oil Imports While Germany Warns On Gas Supplies

Poland to cut all Russian oil imports while Germany warns on gas supplies

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Poland will take steps to cut Russian oil imports by the end of 2022, the prime minister said Wednesday, as Germany triggered an early warning level for natural gas supplies and called on consumers to save energy amid Russia's war in Ukraine.

Poland has already largely reduced its dependence on Russian oil, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said.

Morawiecki told a news conference that Poland was launching the most radical plan among European nations to wean off Russian energy sources.

Poland said Tuesday it was banning imports of Russian coal. Morawiecki said he expects gas imports will be cut in May.

Poland is calling on other European Union countries to also cut dependence on fuel imports from Russia. Poland argues that money from oil and gas exports are fueling Russia's war machine and that that should stop.

Morawiecki called on the European Commission to impose tax on all hydrocarbons imported from Russia to make trade "just."

Poland has been taking strides to cut reliance on Russian gas. A liquid gas terminal was built in Swinoujscie and is being expanded now, receiving deliveries from Qatar, the U.S., Norway and other exporters. A new, Baltic pipeline bringing gas from Norway is to open at the end of this year.

In Germany, the government triggered an early warning level for natural gas supplies and called on consumers to save energy amid concerns that Russia could cut off deliveries unless it is paid in rubles.

Western nations have rejected the Russian demand for ruble payments, arguing it would undermine the sanctions imposed against Moscow over the war in Ukraine.

Economy Minister Robert Habeck said the move was a precautionary measure as, so far, Russia is still fulfilling its contracts. But he appealed to companies and households in Germany to start reducing their gas consumption

"There have been several comments from the Russian side that if this (payments in rubles) doesn't happen, then the supplies will be stopped," he told reporters in Berlin, adding that Moscow is expected to unveil new rules for gas payments on Thursday. "In order to be prepared for this situation I have today triggered the early warning level."

Habeck, who is also Germany's energy minister and vice chancellor, said this was the first of three warning levels and entailed the establishment of a crisis team in his ministry that will step up monitoring of the gas supply situation.