Thread by @faisalislam

NEW

In exclusive interview with BBC, German finance minister Christian Lindner tells me

* tho Russian energy will be embargoed “as fast as possible”
* immediate embargo physically impossible and
* would “probably” see shutdowns of manufacturers and carmakers…

#BBCNewsSix

…German finance minister @c_lindner tells me

“Russia is responsible for all the geopolitical and economic risks” arising from the war - “inflation, food crisis and possible risk of a serious debt crisis in developing countries”

#BBCNewsSix

When I ask fin min Christian Lindner why Germany acquiesced in Putin’s strategy to hook Europe on its gas, even swapping its storage infrastructure for Siberian supplies, he told me:

“Yes, it was a strategic miscalculation from German governments, over the last two decades…” >

Lindner stressed Germany was now rapidly building LNG terminals, and the dependence was only “at the moment”…”but we will overcome this situation. And we will work out how we could have gotten in this, this difficult situation. And it should not be happening again”

On rouble fully recovered from central bank sanctions, Lindner told me:

“we have hit Putin’s warchest, by sanctions against the Russian Central Bank, I think the long term effects on the Russian economy are devastating. And so we have to be patient on the economical side.”

FULL Story is here… fascinating to hear a senior German minister explain to an international audience about its energy dependence on Russia in such depth

bbc.co.uk/news/business-…