Germany Drops Opposition to Russian Oil Ban, Ministers Say

German Finance Minister Christian Lindner speaks at a news conference in Berlin, Germany, April 28, 2022. (Reuters)
German Finance Minister Christian Lindner speaks at a news conference in Berlin, Germany, April 28, 2022. (Reuters)
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Germany Drops Opposition to Russian Oil Ban, Ministers Say

German Finance Minister Christian Lindner speaks at a news conference in Berlin, Germany, April 28, 2022. (Reuters)
German Finance Minister Christian Lindner speaks at a news conference in Berlin, Germany, April 28, 2022. (Reuters)

Two senior ministers in Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government on Monday said Germany would be ready to back an immediate European Union ban on Russian oil imports, and that Europe's biggest economy could weather shortages and price hikes.

The comments by Finance Minister Christian Lindner and Economy Minister Robert Habeck are the latest sign Sholz has shifted from his cautious approach toward Russia and is willing to back sanctions against Moscow even if they have economic costs at home.

Speaking in Brussels, Habeck of the ecologist Greens said Germany would back an EU ban, regardless of whether the stoppage was immediate or by the end of the year.

"Germany is not against an oil ban on Russia. Of course it is a heavy load to bear but we would be ready to do that," Habeck told reporters before talks with his EU colleagues.

Germany cut the share of Russian oil to 12% from 35% before Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.

It is working on finding alternative fuel supplies, most urgently for the Russian oil that comes by pipeline to a refinery in Schwedt operated by Russian state company Rosneft.

Lindner of the pro-business Free Democrats told a German broadcaster that the German economy could tolerate an immediate ban.

"With coal and oil, it is possible to forgo Russian imports now," Lindner told WELT. "It can't be ruled out that fuel prices could rise."

Habeck had said earlier in Berlin that the main challenge was to find alternative oil deliveries for Schwedt, which supplies east German regions as well as the Berlin metropolitan area.

Those areas could face supply shortages in the event of an EU embargo if Germany cannot secure alternative oil imports by the end of the year, Habeck said.

"We still have no solution for the refinery in Schwedt," said Habeck. "We can't guarantee that supplies will be continuous. There will for sure be price hikes and there will be some outages. But that doesn't mean we will slide into an oil crisis."

Two European Union diplomats said at the weekend that the bloc is leaning toward a ban on Russian oil by the end of the year as part of a sixth package of sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

Habeck said an embargo in a few months would give Germany time to organise tankers that bring oil to ports in the north of the country that would flow through pipelines to Schwedt.

"It would help to have weeks or months to do all the technical preparations," he said. "We would have to find ships that carry oil from west to east, we have to prepare the harbors, we have to prepare the pipelines. So time is helpful but I think other countries have bigger problems."



Arrests Made in Türkiye over Calls for Shopping Boycott to Support Istanbul's Imprisoned Mayor

Fine art university students shout slogans as they march past an Expresso Lab coffee bar during a peaceful protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Fine art university students shout slogans as they march past an Expresso Lab coffee bar during a peaceful protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
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Arrests Made in Türkiye over Calls for Shopping Boycott to Support Istanbul's Imprisoned Mayor

Fine art university students shout slogans as they march past an Expresso Lab coffee bar during a peaceful protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Fine art university students shout slogans as they march past an Expresso Lab coffee bar during a peaceful protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Turkish police detained 11 people Thursday for supporting a shopping boycott as part of protests against the imprisonment of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main rival, state-run media reported.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued arrest warrants for 16 suspects in an investigation into “hatred and discrimination” and “inciting hatred and hostility” among the public, the Anadolu news agency said.

Among the detained was actor Cem Yigit Uzumoglu, who played Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror in the Netflix docuseries “Rise of Empires: Ottoman,” the Actors’ Union said.

The suspects were held over social media posts calling on people to not to spend money on Wednesday and for businesses to shut their doors in solidarity during the daylong boycott, The AP news reported.

Large-scale anti-government protests began last month after the arrest of Istanbul's opposition Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on corruption charges that critics say are politically motivated. The government insists the judiciary is independent and free of political interference.

Istanbul prosecutors on Tuesday launched a criminal investigation into earlier boycott calls by Imamoglu’s party targeting companies it alleges support the government. In particular, the opposition identified media firms that did not air images of protests in which hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets to call for Imamoglu’s release and an end to democratic backsliding.

The leader of Imamoglu’s Republican People’s Party, or CHP, issued a warning after authorities blocked social media accounts supporting Wednesday's boycott.

“We know that you have closed hundreds of pages to date,” Ozgur Ozel wrote on X. “If you become a tool for anti-democratic practices today, if you implement access ban demands, think carefully about what this nation will do to you!”

While in prison, Imamoglu has been confirmed as the CHP's presidential candidate. The next election is currently scheduled for 2028 but is likely to take place earlier.

According to the independent ANKA News Agency, some 2,000 people have been detained since Imamoglu was arrested on March 19, with 316 jailed pending trial. Most face charges relating to participating in protests.

Lawyers for imprisoned protesters on Wednesday said many had suffered mistreatment. The government has not responded to the allegations but on Thursday the police issued a statement denying claims that women had been sexually assaulted in custody as “vile slanders.”