More than half of Germans do not support an immediate introduction of a ban on Russian oil and gas imports, a poll out Wednesday showed, as debate heats up over the country's dependence on Russia
BERLIN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th April, 2022) More than half of Germans do not support an immediate introduction of a ban on Russian oil and gas imports, a poll out Wednesday showed, as debate heats up over the country's dependence on Russia.
Former German President Joachim Gauck said in March that Germans should now and then "freeze for the freedom" to rid themselves of Russian hydrocarbon imports, which critics of Moscow say are paying for the military operation in Ukraine.
Germans polled by the Allensbach research institute were asked to choose one of two positions on Russian energy imports. The majority, or 57%, picked the position "Of course, it is problematic that Germany continues to receive oil and gas from Russia. In any case, we cannot replace the energy supply from Russia in the short term without having a shortage and further price increases. For the moment, we must continue to buy oil and gas from Russia." Only 30% backed the position "I believe that Germany should immediately stop buying oil and gas from Russia."
The survey, conducted for the Frankfurter Allgemeine daily from March 26 until April 6, also found that 71% of Germans were very concerned about rising prices and 62% about energy security. Eighty-six percent said they feared disruption of the energy supply in the coming years, up from 26% in 2019.
