Germany Lowers Gas Security Alert Level as Supply Bottlenecks Ease
Berlin had declared the alert level in June 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and a sudden drop in gas imports from Moscow. Germany no longer imports pipeline-based gas from Russia and no Russian liquefied natural gas arrives in its LNG terminals, Reiche said, Reuters reported.
She said Germany's gas supply was secure and the conditions for the alert level according to its emergency plan no longer existed. Reiche added that given the stable situation, it was not necessary for the government to refill the country's gas storage facilities through its trading hub.
The early warning level, the first of three crisis levels, will remain in place for the government to keep a close eye on the supply situation.
"The market is still able to cope with this disruption or demand without the need for non-market-based measures," Reiche told journalists at a news conference in Berlin.
Germany's gas storage levels are around 50% below levels of previous years but storage activity has increased significantly, she said. While gas prices have stabilized at around 34 euros per megawatt hour, this is still twice as high as before the energy crisis stirred by the war in Ukraine.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
Ukraine Looks To Jointly Produce Weapons With Allies, While US Halts Some Shipments
Ukraine is forging ahead with embryonic plans for joint weapons production with some of its international allies, top officials said, while the US announced it was halting some arms shipments promised to help Ukraine fight off Russia. These plans come at what appears to be a key point in the all-out war launched by Moscow nearly 3½ years ago. A renewed Russian push to capture more Ukrainian land has put Ukraine's short-handed defenses under severe strain, and Russian missiles and drones are battering Ukrainian cities. US-led diplomatic efforts to find a peace settlement, meanwhile, have stalled. As Washington has distanced itself under US President Donald Trump from Ukraine's war efforts, a bigger onus has fallen on European countries to pressure Russia. French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday held their first direct telephone call in almost three years. Macron's office said that during their two-hour conversation, the French leader underlined France's unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and called for a ceasefire. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that officials are preparing with a sense of urgency for upcoming meetings with European Union countries and other partners to talk about cooperation in weapons manufacturing. 'One of the key topics will be weapons production–our joint investments, joint projects,' Zelenskyy said in his daily address on Tuesday evening. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced that draft legislation on joint weapons production with international allies is expected to be put to a vote in the Ukrainian parliament later this month. The proposed laws were shown to national defense companies on Tuesday, Umerov said. The program includes plans to create a special legal and tax framework to help Ukrainian defense manufacturers scale up and modernize production, including building new facilities at home and abroad, according to Umerov. Earlier this week, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said during a visit to Kyiv that Germany aims to help Ukraine manufacture more weapons more quickly. He was accompanied on the trip by German defense industry representatives. The US is halting some weapons deliveries to Ukraine out of concern that its own stockpiles have declined too far, officials said Tuesday. Certain munitions were longer-term commitments promised to Ukraine under the Biden administration, though the Defense Department didn't provide details on what specific weapons were being held back. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry summoned the US chargé d'affaires John Hinkel on Wednesday to discuss ongoing defense cooperation. Deputy Foreign Minister Maryana Betsa thanked the US for its continued support but emphasized the critical importance of maintaining previously allocated defense packages, especially for bolstering Ukraine's air defense. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the Pentagon's decision will help bring a settlement closer because 'the fewer weapons supplied to Ukraine, the closer the end of the (war) is.' The United States has been Ukraine's biggest military backer since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbor on Feb. 24, 2022. Under Trump, there have been no new announcements of US military or weapons aid to Ukraine. Between March and April, the United States allocated no new aid to Ukraine, according to Germany's Kiel Institute, which tracks such support. For the first time since June 2022, European countries surpassed the US in total military aid, totaling 72 billion euros (85 billion) compared with 65 billion euros (77 billion) from the US, the institute said last month. Washington's latest decision could remove some of the most formidable weapons in Ukraine's battlefield arsenal. Analysts say Ukraine's European allies can fill some of the gaps and provide artillery systems. But they don't possess alternatives to the US-made HIMARS missiles and air defense systems, especially Patriots, which are crucial to help defend Ukrainian cities from Russian air attacks. It's not clear how much weaponry Ukraine possesses or what its most urgent needs are.
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Ukraine summons US diplomat, warns aid delays will embolden Russia
Ukraine called the acting US envoy to the foreign ministry on Wednesday and stressed the importance of continuing critical military aid to fight Russia's invasion, the ministry said, after Washington halted some deliveries of ammunition and missiles to Kyiv. In a statement, it said Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa expressed gratitude to Deputy Chief of Mission John Ginkel for US support, but warned that a cut-off in aid, particularly air-defense systems, would embolden Russia. 'The Ukrainian side emphasized that any delay or procrastination in supporting Ukraine's defense capabilities will only encourage the aggressor to continue the war and terror, rather than seek peace,' it said.
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
EU presses China to push Iran towards nuclear deal
The European Union will push China on Wednesday to use its influence as Iran's main oil buyer to press Tehran to make a deal over its nuclear program and de-escalate conflict in the Middle East. In the wake of last month's US-Israeli air strikes on Iran, the European Union is seeking a deal in which Tehran would agree to lasting curbs on its nuclear program in return for the lifting of US and international sanctions. The EU and its three biggest members Britain, France and Germany are parties to a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran that Washington abandoned in 2018, which they hope to revive. Iran has always said its nuclear program is peaceful and denies seeking a weapon. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will meet EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and European Council President Antonio Costa on Wednesday on the Brussels leg of a trip that also includes Berlin and Paris. A senior EU official said part of the discussions between Kallas and Wang would cover the Middle East. China had a 'unique relationship' with Iran, which it should use to urge Iran not to pursue nuclear weapons and to de-escalate the conflict, the official said. Talks are also expected to cover familiar issues such as European unhappiness at China's relations with Russia during the war in Ukraine and disquiet over Chinese military operations in the South China Sea. 'In a volatile world, Beijing should use its growing strength to uphold international law,' Kallas said in remarks released ahead of the meeting. Trade is not on the agenda of Wednesday's discussions, although the EU is keen for more balanced economic ties with China and wants Beijing to free exports of minerals such as rare earths that are now curbed by licenses. Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will travel to China for the summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang on July 24-25.
