Germany: Quitting Russian Oil by Late Summer Is ‘Realistic’

German Economy and Climate Action Minister Robert Habeck speaks during a news conference on measures to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions and Germany's dependance on Russian energy imports, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Berlin, Germany April 27, 2022. (Reuters)
German Economy and Climate Action Minister Robert Habeck speaks during a news conference on measures to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions and Germany's dependance on Russian energy imports, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Berlin, Germany April 27, 2022. (Reuters)
TT
20

Germany: Quitting Russian Oil by Late Summer Is ‘Realistic’

German Economy and Climate Action Minister Robert Habeck speaks during a news conference on measures to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions and Germany's dependance on Russian energy imports, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Berlin, Germany April 27, 2022. (Reuters)
German Economy and Climate Action Minister Robert Habeck speaks during a news conference on measures to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions and Germany's dependance on Russian energy imports, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Berlin, Germany April 27, 2022. (Reuters)

Germany says it’s making progress on weaning itself off Russian fossil fuels and expects to be fully independent of Russian crude oil imports by late summer.

Economy and Climate Minister Robert Habeck said Sunday that Europe’s largest economy has reduced the share of Russian energy imports to 12% for oil, 8% for coal and 35% for natural gas. Germany has been under strong pressure from Ukraine and other nations in Europe to cut energy imports from Russia that are worth billions of euros, which help fill Russian President Vladimir Putin's war chest.

"All these steps that we are taking require an enormous joint effort from all actors and they also mean costs that are felt by both the economy and consumers," Habeck said in a statement. "But they are necessary if we no longer want to be blackmailed by Russia."

The announcement comes as the whole European Union considers an embargo on Russian oil following a decision to ban Russian coal imports starting in August.

Germany has managed to shift to oil and coal imports from other countries in a relatively short time, meaning that "the end of dependence on Russian crude oil imports by late summer is realistic," Habeck's ministry said.

Weaning German off Russian natural gas is a far bigger challenge.

Before Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, Germany got more than half of its natural gas imports from Russia. That share is now down to 35%, partly due to increased procurement from Norway and the Netherlands, the ministry said.

To further reduce Russian imports, Germany plans to speed up the construction of terminals for liquefied natural gas, or LNG. The Energy and Climate Ministry said Germany aims to put several floating LNG terminals into operation as early as this year or next. That's an ambitious timeline that the ministry acknowledged "requires an enormous commitment from everyone involved."

Germany has resisted calls for an EU boycott on Russian natural gas. It also watched with worry last week as Moscow immediately halted gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria after they rejected Russian demands to pay for gas in rubles. European officials called those moves by Russia "energy blackmail."

Germany's central bank has said a total cutoff of Russian gas could mean 5 percentage points of lost economic output and higher inflation.



US Denies Plan to Reduce Its Diplomatic Footprint in Africa

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (Reuters)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (Reuters)
TT
20

US Denies Plan to Reduce Its Diplomatic Footprint in Africa

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (Reuters)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (Reuters)

The United States would drastically reduce its diplomatic footprint in Africa and scrap State Department offices dealing with climate change, democracy and human rights, according to a draft White House order published by The New York Times newspaper.

On Sunday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied the report. He said The New York Times had fallen “victim to another hoax.”

“This is fake news,” Rubio posted on X.

However, a copy of the draft viewed by AFP calls for “full structural reorganization” of the State Department by October 1 of this year.

The aim, the draft order says, is “to streamline mission delivery, project American strength abroad, cut waste, fraud, abuse, and align the Department with an America First Strategic Doctrine.”

The biggest change would be organizing US diplomatic efforts into four regions: Eurasia, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia-Pacific -- with no equivalent focus on Africa.

The current Africa Bureau would be eliminated. In its place would be a “Special Envoy Office for African Affairs” who reports to the White House's internal National Security Council, rather than the State Department.

“All non-essential embassies and consulates in Sub-Saharan Africa shall be closed,” the draft order says, with all remaining missions consolidated under a special envoy “using targeted, mission-driven deployments.”

While the draft executive order obtained by AFP has not been discussed publicly by officials, it comes amid a flurry of moves to cut decades-old US initiatives and to question long-held alliances, including with NATO.

An earlier proposed plan leaked to US media would see the State Department's entire budget slashed by half.

The new draft order says current offices dealing with climate change, oceans, global criminal justice, and human rights would be “eliminated.”

The US footprint in Canada -- a historic US ally that President Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested should be annexed and made a 51st state -- would likewise get a downgrade.

The diplomatic presence would see a “significantly reduced team” and the embassy in Ottawa would “significantly downscale.”