Germany's economy ministry has said the country will lose about 220 billion euros ($240 billion) if it immediately stops energy supplies, including natural gas, from Russia. Moreover, the import embargo will lead to a sharp slowdown in the development of the German economy. Analysts of the ministry note that with the rejection of Russian energy resources, the loss of Europe's largest economy will be equal to 6.5% of Germany's annual production volumes. Economists also predicted a weakening of the German economy, comparing current and previous forecasts. Thus, they predict economic growth of 2.7% in 2022 and 3.1% in 2023, compared with previous forecasts of growth of 4.8% and 1.9%, respectively. Inflation in 2022 will reach the highest level in 40 years – an average of 6.1%. German Finance Minister Christian Lindner also said that Germany will face difficulties on the way to the fastest abandonment of Russian gas, as the country will need new supply chains and trade relations with other countries. And this is not so fast and easy to implement. To date, Germany has already faced serious problems due to rising energy prices and disrupted supply chains amid the military operation in Ukraine. Inflation in the country by the end of March rose to 7.3% in annual terms. The February indicator was marked at 5.1%.
