Germany has warned its state-operated gas terminals to not accept any Russian cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG), according to a report by the Financial Times on Thursday.
Germany's Economy Ministry instructed the state-owned Deutsche Energy Terminal to not accept any deliveries of Russian gas after the company informed Berlin its import facility in Brunsbuttel was to receive Russian cargo on Sunday, the report added, citing a letter.
The ministry said the order was issued to protect the country’s "overriding public interests," calling on the operator "to reject LNG deliveries from Russia until further notice," the report said.
The potential shipment comes at a time when LNG is set to become a bargaining chip for the EU and Donald Trump’s presidency, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last week floating the idea of replacing Russian LNG with more imports from the United States.
Germany was Europe’s biggest importer of Russian gas before Moscow's invasion of Ukraine early in 2022.
