According to reports, German Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economics and Climate Protection Robert Habeck said in April that the proportion of Germany's oil imports from Russia has dropped from about 37% in March to about 12%, and Germany's dependence on Russian oil has d

Xinhua News Agency Beijing, July 4 (Xinhua) Germany's "Le Monde" questioned German officials' remarks on the 2nd that Germany had successfully reduced its dependence on Russian oil, accusing them of underestimating the situation.

According to reports, German Deputy Chancellor and Minister of Economics and Climate Protection Robert Habeck html said in April that Germany’s share of oil imports from Russia had dropped from about 37% in March to about 12% . Germany’s response to Russia Dependence on oil has fallen low enough that a complete ban on Russian oil imports has become "feasible." However, data from the German Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Protection in May showed that the proportion of was 27.8%.

html On May 23, in Davos, Switzerland, German Vice Chancellor and Minister of Economics and Climate Protection Robert Habeck attended a sub-forum event at the World Economic Forum 2022 Annual Meeting. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zheng Huansong

Opposition Christian Democratic Union Vice Chairman Jens Spahn identified Habeck's statement as "obviously more of a whim estimate" and demanded a response from the Ministry of Economy and Climate Protection.

was asked about this by the media, and the Ministry of Economy and Climate Protection responded that it may be related to Habek's use of data provided by oil companies. Companies that import oil have previously said that they can avoid contracts with Russia and will have the opportunity to obtain oil from other countries once oil imports from Russia are immediately banned or Russia stops supply.

The Ministry of Economy and Climate Protection emphasized that Germany still plans to completely wean itself off dependence on Russian oil by the end of 2022.

Leaders of European Union member states reached an agreement in principle on banning the import of Russian oil at the end of May. According to the sixth round of sanctions against Russia issued by the European Commission on June 3, the EU will stop purchasing Russian seaborne crude oil within 6 months and stop purchasing Russian petroleum products within 8 months. By the end of 2022, the EU's oil imports from Russia will decrease by 90%.

This is the euro sculpture taken in Frankfurt, Germany on June 1. Preliminary statistical data released by Eurostat on May 31 showed that due to the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the energy market continued to be turbulent and food prices soared. The inflation rate in the euro zone reached 8.1% on an annual basis in May, setting another record high. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Lu Yang

The leaders of the Group of Seven countries held a summit in Germany at the end of June and agreed to discuss the establishment of a mechanism to set price ceilings for Russian natural gas and oil exports. The Group of Seven attempts to continue to purchase Russian oil and gas at low prices, while stabilizing international energy prices and alleviating the pressure of high inflation within Western countries. Some EU member states have questioned this, saying it would distort market mechanisms.

Since the end of February this year, the EU has imposed multiple rounds of sanctions on Russia, involving finance, energy and many other fields. Since Russia is currently the EU's largest supplier of crude oil and natural gas, as the scope of sanctions against Russia expands, the backlash caused by the sanctions has made the EU increasingly embarrassed. (Bao Xuelin)