With friends like these who needs enemies

“Germany is financing Putin’s army!” – an authoritative British media calls for sanctions against Berlin.

Germany still does not want to impose an embargo on energy imports from Russia. At this time, demands are being made from the British Isles to impose sanctions against the Federal Republic.

The main message: if you buy German goods, you are financing Putin’s army.

British journalist Matthew Lynn, who is an expert in economics and finance, called for sanctions against Germany because Germany continues to import gas from Russia. In his column in the British newspaper The Telegraph, Lynn wrote that Berlin had finally decided that the refusal of imports would cost the German industry too much. “If the Germans don’t want to make sacrifices, that’s their business,” Lynn said, “but there’s no reason why the rest of the world should tolerate it.” “The moment of sanctions against Germany is certainly close,” the journalist noted.

What sanctions does Lynn envisage for Germany? He is particularly interested in German cars: “Everyone who buys a new BMW or Volkswagen indirectly pays for Putin’s army – this point should be taken into account when choosing a new car.” You can also buy cars from France or Japan, and chemicals from South Korea and the United States, Lynn suggests. After all, says the author, there is nothing that cannot be relatively easily acquired elsewhere: “However, the consequences for Germany will be dramatic.” The embargo on Russian gas will hurt German industry, “but so will the shutdown of gas,” the publicist writes.

Everyone who buys German goods is financing the war, says Lynn. “And although the freezing of energy imports will not lead to an immediate end to the war, it will significantly shorten its duration and save tens of thousands of lives.” At the same time, the author also criticizes Italy for the purchase of Russian gas, but “to a lesser extent”, which, like Germany, is still heavily dependent on Russian oil and gas.

Just last week, leading German economic institutions warned the German government against the embargo of Russian energy carriers. If this had happened suddenly, Germany would have fallen into recession next year: output would be reduced by at least 2.2 percent, according to other estimates 5.4 percent, the damage could amount to 200 billion euros. In addition, the jobs of 400,000 Germans will also be at risk, experts predict.

Later, The Telegraph reported that Germany and France, bypassing the embargo announced by all, sold arms to Russia for 230 million pounds (292.1 million dollars). The list includes software, bombs, rockets and missiles that are likely to be used in the war in Ukraine, the article says.

On whose side Germany apparently understands the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky, who refused to receive German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Kiev, and the Ambassador of Ukraine in Berlin Andriy Melnyk publicly described Steinmeier’s relations with Russia as a “web of contacts” and accused the President of the Federal Republic of creating conditions for Germany’s dependence on gas, oil and coal supplies from Russia.