BERLIN, November 1. /TASS/. Michael Kretschmer, the prime minister of the German state of Saxony, on Tuesday criticized statements by some German politicians that cooperation with Russia, including in the area of natural gas, would never again be possible.
The leader of the region, who represents the Christian Democratic Union, made the remarks at a news conference that was broadcast by the N-TV television channel.
"When this war is over, we need to have prospects," he said. It won’t happen "overnight," he said.
"From my standpoint, that will be a response to the statements that ‘never again, by no means,’ ‘under no circumstances’ [cooperation with Russia will take place]," Kretschmer said. "I believe that runs counter to history, and is a mistake in terms of geopolitics."
"That’s something on the molecular level, something physical. What’s at issue is that we should be able to ensure production," the official said. "We depend on a competitive price [for gas]. My viewpoint is that won’t work just with LNG."
He said the German government should make sure prices are competitive over the long term. He expressed the opinion that putting an end to the conflict in Ukraine would be a good place to start.
"We need more diplomatic initiatives, talks," the official said.
On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation in response to a request for help by the heads of the Donbass republics. The West subsequently imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia and stepped up shipments of weapons to Kiev, which by now are worth billions of dollars.
Germany moved to reduce dependence on Russian energy imports and build more LNG import terminals in light of the Russian special operation in Ukraine. The government plans to halt using Russian coal and oil withing a year but it will need Russian gas at least next year.