German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday said he is convinced that Germany will get through a natural gas crisis.
"We decided early on. We are preparing for the fact that things can get very bad," Scholz told a meeting in his constituency in Michendorf in Brandenburg state, near the capital Berlin.
With a view to the possibility that Germany might stop receiving Russian gas shipments, Scholz said: "That's why we made very, very far-reaching decisions."
Things might get tough and tight, the chancellor said, but he said Germany had the chance "to get through this difficult situation."
Due to tensions surrounding Russia's war on Ukraine and resulting Western sanctions, Moscow has slashed deliveries of the fossil fuel natural gas to many European states, Germany included.
Scholz named the construction of pipelines on the north German coasts, the construction of liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals and the filling of gas storage facilities as examples of preparatory measures taken by the federal government.
Germany is trying turn away from Russian gas supplies also due to the Kremlin's attack on Ukraine, which has led to rapid manoeuvring in Berlin to find new sources of energy, such as LNG and renewables.
Scholz explained that the combination of several different measures ought to help the country get through this difficult phase.
"If things go well, we'll make it happen," he asserted.
In view of high energy prices, Scholz assured that he would relieve the burden on citizens and referred to federal relief packages that have already been passed.
