Moscow said last week that it wanted to be paid in rubles, rather than US dollars or euros as per existing gas supply contracts, andif that didn't happen. The Kremlin's demand has been rejected by Germany and the G7 group of leading developed economies.
"There are currently no supply shortages," Economy Minister Robert Habeck said in a statement. "Nevertheless, we must take further precautionary measures to be prepared for any escalation by Russia." German gas storage is currently filled to 25% capacity, he added. "This means that industrial production gets lost, that supply chains get lost," Leonhard Birnbaum, chief executive of German energy group E.ON, told public broadcaster ARD, according to Reuters. "We are certainly talking about very heavy damages."that Wednesday's alert was aimed at avoiding a deterioration in gas supplies but said consumers should be prepared for "all scenarios.
Habeck said this week that payment in rubles is not acceptable to Berlin and he has described Russian President Vladimir Putin's demand as "blackmail."