(CNN) — Germany has issued an “early warning” of possible natural gas shortages after Russia said it wanted to be paid in rubles and threatened to cut off supplies if that didn’t happen.
The German government said Wednesday that the country had enough gas for now, but it urged all consumers across Europe’s biggest economy — from companies to hospitals and households — to reduce their use as far as possible with immediate effect.
“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.”
The European Union depends on Russia for about 40% of its natural gas, and Germany is Moscow’s biggest energy customer on the continent. Habeck said earlier that payment in rubles is not acceptable to Berlin and described Putin’s demand as “blackmail.”
— This is a developing story and will be updated.
This story was first published on CNN.com, “Germany issues ‘early warning’ of possible gas shortages as Russia threatens.”
