Dependence on Russian gas has plunged Germany into an energy crisis. After the start of the Ukraine war, however, the Federal Republic repositioned itself surprisingly quickly. Our interactive graphic shows how.

German gas policy has shown the world what happens when you become heavily dependent on a major exporter. For years, Russia has reliably supplied gas to Germany. Until the day on which the European Union and Germany imposed sanctions on the resource-rich country because Russian President Vladimir Putin started a war of aggression in Ukraine that violated international law. The Russian reaction to Germany is well known: the otherwise productive and important gas supply was gradually turned off. As a result, Germany slipped into a serious energy crisis.

But with focus and determination, Germany broke away from Putin’s gas clutches and managed to completely phase out Russian gas within ten months. Our interactive graphic shows how this process took place, when it started and what the status quo is today. Press the “Play” button to start the animation.

However, the energy problems do not end with secession from Russia. The embargo policy against the aggressor due to the ongoing war in Ukraine poses further difficulties that need to be overcome. For more information, read our graphically prepared analyses.

Here is a small selection of our current articles on the subject of energy and Russia:

How important is Russian gas for Germany’s energy supply? How big is the dependency on Russian imports really? Answers to the most pressing questions at a glance.