German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said in a statement to Der Spiegel newspaper: “We may be forced to stop some production due to lack of gas”, noting that “the coming winter will be difficult”, and considered that “Russian President Vladimir Putin wants, to break up our country.”

Habek announced yesterday that “Germany has raised its gas alert level after cutting supplies from Russia,” adding that “gas has now become a scarce commodity in Germany.”

He stated that “all political measures must be taken to ensure that we receive enough gas”, stressing that “we will need other measures if the gas does not flow through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline after the repair work.”

The economy minister warned that cuts in Russian natural gas supplies to Europe could lead to a collapse in energy markets, comparable to the role played by US bank Lehman Brothers in fueling the 2008 financial crisis.