Gas supply crisis fears grow after Germany\`s  early warning

Amid tension with Russia regarding payment of Russian gas in rubles_ Germany has taken the first official step towards gas rationing under its emergency plan. Fears grow over a potential stop in Russian deliveries if the EU members are not willing to make payments through the Russian currency.

 A crisis room will now be established in the ministry_ German economy minister Robert Habeck told reporters. He added that the team will be comprised of members from the economics ministry_ the country s regulator and the private sector.

The  early warning measure_ the first of three alarm levels under the government s emergency gas plan_ was  preventative and intended to assure supply of the fuel_ said Habeck. He is also serving as the energy minister and vice chancellor of the country.

Gas reserves were currently at 25 percent of capacity_ Habeck added_ cautioning that a stop to deliveries from Russia would have  serious consequences_ though supplies continued to flow normally.

As US_ EU and its allies have imposed series of sanctions against Russia. As a result_ Rouble has faced severe decline in its value. In a tit-for-tat reaction Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that his country will soon only accept payments for gas in roubles_ an effort to bolster its currency. Although western countries have rejected the demand.

On Tuesday_ the Kremlin reiterated the payment demand for gas deliveries to the EU  after ministers from the G7 countries called this arrangement  unacceptable .

Germany is highly dependent on Russian gas as it gets 55 percent of its supplies being delivered along pipelines from Russia before the invasion of Ukraine. The figure fell to 40 percent in the first quarter of 2022.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine_ Germany has accelerated plans to reduce the dependency on Russian energey.

Habeck confessed that_ Germany will not achieve full independence from Russian supplies before mid-2024.