Germany's fuel situation is so delicate and strategic that Friedrich Merz plans to convene the National Security Council “soon” for consultations on the energy crisis. He himself announced this, without giving details, the Italian press writes.
“Our goal is clear: the German economy and citizens must be able to rely on the supply of essential products such as diesel, gasoline and jet fuel,” Merz said in Hanover on Sunday. The situation is currently “strained”, but supplies are secured. “If the situation worsens, we are ready to step in,” Merz said.
On Tuesday morning, Reuters exclusively published a story that, if confirmed, will accelerate the crisis and put heavy pressure on Berlin. Russia is preparing to stop oil exports from Kazakhstan to Germany through the Drujba pipeline starting May 1. Reuters spoke on condition of anonymity to three different sources and learned that the two capitals had already been sent an updated schedule of oil exports.
A blockade of Kazakh flows would further increase uncertainty over Germany's fuel supplies as the war with Iran disrupts energy shipments across the Middle East, just years after Berlin's decades-long energy ties with Russia were disrupted by the war in Ukraine. It seems that the Berlin area and the north of the country would be particularly affected. Kazakh oil exports to Germany via Drujba reached 2.146 million tonnes in 2025 – about 43,000 barrels per day – a 44% increase from 2024 and to 730,000 tonnes in the first quarter of 2026. A complete shutdown would eliminate about 17% of the up to 12 million tonnes processed annually by the PCK Schwedt refinery, a of the country's largest, located in the northeastern city of Schwedt, whose products power nine out of ten cars in the Berlin-Brandenburg region.
Merz convened the National Security Council before word of the Russian energy ambush spread. Rumors suggest that the council meeting could take place as early as Wednesday.
The council is a new body, created by Merz in August, but it only deals with the most serious threats to the country or systemic crises. So far, it has been convened only once, in November, to adopt an action plan against hybrid threats, mainly from Russia.
“For us, it is clear: security of supply is Germany's top priority,” Merz said in Hanover on Sunday, stressing that “all available tools” would be used to ensure stability.
The price of fuel has skyrocketed in Germany, as elsewhere, prompting the government to intervene. Queues have already started to form at the border with Poland, because the Germans have started refueling in the neighboring country, where the costs are a little lower.
The situation at the airports is also complicated. Lufthansa has announced that it is ready to suspend Cityliners, intercity connections – for which trains are an alternative – leaving kerosene for the most important routes. Above all, Germany has realized that it does not have an up-to-date plan for fuel reserves and not even a road map on how to react in these cases.
For this reason, with the convening of the National Security Council, it is aimed to initiate a close collaboration with the regions, the states, which have extensive powers in Germany. The SPD minister-presidents or “governors” sent Merz a letter requesting an extraordinary conference with the federal government. Given rising fuel prices and the risk of shortages in other goods as well, the letter says, urgent consultations are needed at the highest political level on the “fundamental issues of energy security” and prices.
For weeks, fuel concerns have become the government's central preoccupation. According to a YouGov poll published on Monday, 58 percent of Germans said they were at least somewhat worried about a possible kerosene shortage: 17 percent of them were very worried, while 41 percent were moderately worried. Only 32% said they felt calm. But the survey was conducted last week, before the breaking news.
Regarding the disruption of the Drujba pipeline, neither the Kremlin nor the German government has yet commented or responded to questions from Reuters. (Material produced with the support of Rador Radio Romania)
