Appeal: European import ban on Russian oil and gas!

More than 80 scholars, politi­cians, business­people and civil society repre­sen­ta­tives have signed an appeal to the German government to stop oil and gas imports from Russia. Remarkably, the coalition of signa­tories was collected within 24 hours and for the first time includes prominent entre­pre­neurs. What unites them in the face of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is the wish to live up to Germany’s historic respon­si­bility of “never again” allow a war to happen. Absorbing the conse­quences of a short-term energy boycott requires a massive effort. But the cost of half-hearted action could be much higher.

A CALL TO ACTION

Let’s stop financing the war — Immediate import ban on Russian oil and gas!

Berlin, 25 March 2022 — We call on the German government to lobby the European Union for an immediate boycott of fossil fuels from Russia. The embargo should be limited in time until the Russian army withdraws from Ukraine. It is the most effective economic leverage to stop Putin’s war of aggression and to halt a human­i­tarian catastrophe the likes of which our continent has not seen since 1945.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, the EU has imported almost €20 billion worth of Russian oil, gas and coal. Even though the Russian armed forces are paid in roubles, these foreign currencies keep the war machine running.

There is no doubt that a complete import freeze is an enormous feat. It requires a variety of measures to develop new energy sources and save energy, to prioritise scarce natural gas resources, to achieve social balance and to safeguard energy-intensive indus­tries. The sooner such an embargo is imposed, the sooner it can be relaxed. The COVID pandemic has shown that we can overcome such challenges when we act together.

We are convinced that Europe must do more in the face of the massive attack on the European order. The European community must do every­thing in its power to stop the devas­tating war against Ukraine, the destruction of entire cities and endless suffering of the civilian population.

If we see the sacri­fices made by the people of Ukraine in these weeks, if we take seriously the justified concerns in Moldova, Georgia and the Baltic states, then the free West must resolutely use the means at its disposal. Putin’s revan­chism must be stopped before he sets all of Europe on fire.

Looking back on its history, Germany has repeatedly vowed that there must NEVER AGAIN be wars of conquest and crimes against humanity. Today the hour has come to honour this vow. We must try every­thing to stop Putin’s war machine with our political and economic means.

This is about our respon­si­bility before history and Europe’s future. We must act. Now.

The signa­tories are expressing themselves here as citizens, not as repre­sen­ta­tives of insti­tu­tions, companies or bodies.

Dr. Thomas Enders, President DGAP, Munich

Ralf Fücks, former Senator, Center for Liberal Modernity, Bremen

Charlotte Knobloch, former Vice President of the World Jewish Congress

Dr. Norbert Röttgen, Member of the German Bundestag, former Federal Minister, Berlin

Dr. Constanze Stelzen­müller, Brookings Insti­tution, Washington, DC

Dr. Christian Jacobs, Chairman of the Board of Jacobs, Bremen, Germany

Igor Levit, pianist, Berlin

Prof. Dr. Hedwig Richter, University of the Federal Armed Forces, Munich

Mikhail Khodor­kovsky, former political prisoner, London

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Ischinger, former State Secretary, former head of MSC, Munich

Prof. Dr. Carlo Masala, University of the Federal Armed Forces, Munich

Prof. Dr. Karl Kaiser, Cambridge

Dr. Daniela Schwarzer, Executive Director Open Society Founda­tions, Berlin

Sebastian Turner, entre­preneur and publicist, Berlin

Prof. Dr. Jan Schnel­lenbach, Brandenburg Technical University, Cottbus

Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Bachmann, University of Notre Dame, Indiana

Marieluise Beck, former Parlia­mentary Secretary of State, Center for Liberal Modernity, Bremen

Prof. Dr. Timothy Garton Ash, University of Oxford

Peter Jungen, Managing Partner, Cologne

Roderich Kiesewetter, Member of the German Bundestag, Berlin

Prof. Dr. Karolina Wigura, Kultura Liberalna Foundation, Warsaw

Kai Whittacker, Member of the German Bundestag, Berlin

Markus Meckel, last Foreign Minister of the GDR, Berlin

Michael Gahler, MEP, Strasbourg

Prof. Dr. Benjamin Moll, London School of Economics, London

Hildegard Bentele, MEP, Strasbourg

Rebecca Harms, former Member of the European Parliament, Hannover

Dr. Fritz Felgentreu, former Member of the German Bundestag, Berlin

Werner Schulz, former Member of the European Parliament, Berlin

Elmar Brok, former Member of the European Parliament, Bielefeld

Prof. Dr. Tanja Börzel, Cluster of Excel­lence SCRIPTS, Free University, Berlin

Robert Ketterer, Ketterer Kunst KG, Munich

Prof. Dr. Michael Zürn, SCRIPTS spokesperson, Science Center, Berlin

Katja Leikert, Member of the German Bundestag, Berlin

Prof. Dr. Nicole Deitelhoff, Director HSFK, Frankfurt

Prof. Dr. Thomas Risse, Director BIRT, Free University, Berlin

Dr. Thomas Kleine-Brockhoff, Publicist, Berlin

Gerald Knaus, European Stability Initiative, Vienna-Berlin

Bernd Ziesemer, Journalist and Columnist, Capital, Hamburg

Dr. Thorlef Spickschen, entre­preneur, Seeheim-Jugenheim

Dennis Radtke, MEP, Strasbourg

Dr. Ruprecht Polenz, former Member of the German Bundestag, Münster

Dr. Peter Hoch, banker, Munich

Dr. Fred Kempe, President and CEO Altantic Council, Washington DC

Prof. Dr. Jan Andrzej Zielonka, Oxford and Ca Foscari University of Vernice

Prof. Dr. Armin Grunwald, Institute for Technology Assessment, Karlsruhe, Germany

Marianne Birthler, former chair­woman of Bündnis 90/​Die Grünen, Berlin

Alexander Bonde, Foundation Manager and former Minister, Freiburg i.Br.

Prof. Dr. Moritz Schularick, University of Bonn and Sciences Po, Paris

Dr. Helga Trüpel, former Member of the European Parliament, Bremen

Jacques Rupnik, Research Director, Sciencies Po, Paris

Volker Beck, former Member of the German Bundestag, Tikvah Institute, Berlin

Jakub Klepal, Forum 2000, Prague

Olga Dolburt, Philan­thropist, Nadav Foundation, Tel Aviv

Dr. Ulrich Wilhelm, former director, Berlin

Dr. Anna Kuchen­becker, ECFR, Berlin

Judy Dempsey, Carnegie Europe, Editor-in-Chief Strategic Europe, London

Knut Abraham, Member of the German Bundestag, Berlin

Andrew Levi, Tech Investor, former diplomat, Edinburgh/​Berlin

Dr. Peter Liese, MEP, Strasbourg

Lukas Beckmann, Chairman of the Super­visory Board Correctiv GmbH, Berlin

Markus Koob, Member of the German Bundestag, Berlin

Wolfgang Grassl, architect, Gransee

Prof. Monika Grütters, Member of the Bundestag, Berlin

Prof. Dr. Sabine Döring, philosopher, University of Tübingen

Peter Beyer, Member of the Bundestag, Berlin

Wolf Lotter, journalist, author, keynoter, Köngen

Prof. Dr. Heribert Hirte, former Member of the German Bundestag, Berlin

Annette Widmann-Mauz, Member of the German Bundestag, Berlin

Prof. Dr. Andrea Gawrich, political scientist, University of Gießen

Elisabeth Motschmann, former State Councillor, Bremen

Jens Motschmann, pastor, Bremen

Dr. Mikko Huotari, Director Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS), Berlin

Prof. Dr. Christian Bayer, legal scholar, University of Bonn

Michaela Derra, journalist, Bamberg

Johannes Steiniger, Member of the German Bundestag, Berlin

Prof. Dr. Martin Aust, Eastern European History University of Bonn

Michael Brand, Member of the German Bundestag, Berlin

Prof. Dr. Armin Nassehi, Chair of Sociology, LMU Munich

Martin Patzelt, former Member of the German Bundestag, Berlin

Frank Helmen­stein, Mayor, Gummersbach

Carsten Müller, Member of the German Bundestag, Berlin

Monica Wüllner, trade union secretary, Stuttgart

Karl-Matthias Klause, Diplomat, Director EBRD, London

Korbinian Kohler, Entre­preneur, Tegernsee

Prof. Dr. Gunther Hellmann, Political Scientist, University of Frankfurt

Prof. Dr. Gwendolyn Sasse, Humboldt University, Berlin

Silke Hermann, entre­preneur, Wiesbaden

Prof. Dr. Antje Wiener, Political Scientist, University of Hamburg

Dr. Rainer Ohler, Senior Strate­gists, Munich

Gustav Meibauer, Assistant Professor Inter­na­tional Relations, University of Nijmegen

Dr. Sönke Ahrens, Faculty of Education, University of Duisburg-Essen

Dr. Stefan Eisel, former Member of the German Bundestag, Bonn

Prof. Dr. Chris­tiane Woopen. Medical ethicist, University of Bonn

Dr. Patrick Heinemann, lawyer and legal historian, Freiburg i.B.

Michael Jahn, freelancer, Grossbettlingen

Prof. Dr. Jonas Dovern, empirical macro­econ­omist, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg

Prof. em. Antonia Grunenberg, Bremen

Dr. Armin Sieber, Sieber Senior Advisors, Munich

Dr. Ernst-Jörg von Studnitz, former Ambas­sador (including Moscow), Königswinter

Kerstin Müller, former Minister of State, Berlin

Elisabeth Winkelmeier-Becker, Member of the German Bundestag, Berlin