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German Chancellor Olaf Schultz speaks at a conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 16. He announced on Friday the seizure of three Russian refineries in Germany. File photo by Ukrainian Presidential Press Office/UPI | License photo
September 16 (UPI) – Germany seized three Moscow-linked refineries at home on Friday as the energy war between Russia and European countries escalated in the shadow of the war in Ukraine.
German government Placing of refinery shares PCK Schwedt, MiRo in Karlsruhe and Bayernoil in Vohburg are all under its control. All three are owned by Russian energy company Rosneft.
“The decision is accompanied by a comprehensive package for the future that will provide a transformational boost to the region and support refiners in securing oil supply through alternative supply routes,” Germany’s Ministry of Economy said in the translated statement.
The European Union has accused Moscow of using energy as a weapon of war, and Russia has restricted its gas supplies to those countries in response to sanctions imposed on the Kremlin for its invasion of Ukraine.
The EU has pledged to cut reliance on Russian oil, claiming it fueled Moscow’s war on Ukraine. Rosneft Deutschland is one of Germany’s largest oil processors, accounting for 12% of the country’s processing capacity.
Chancellor of Germany Olaf Schultz says Since Russia is no longer a reliable energy supplier, he is doing everything possible to ensure Germany’s energy security.
The acquisition of the plants is a “far-reaching energy policy decision to protect the country,” he said. The Schwedt refinery in the eastern state of Brandenburg supplies 90 percent of the fuel to the German capital Berlin, Scholz said.
Following Rosneft’s decision, Scholtz also announced a “future package” of $997 million over several years for the eastern German states.
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