According to the business associations unit of East Germany and Berlin, Rosneft Deutschland (Rosneft's subsidiary) offered an alternative to the Federal Ministry of Economics in Germany to supply from Kazakhstan due to the authorities' intention to give up Russian oil in 2023. After the start of the Russian special operation in Ukraine, Western countries began to impose sanctions against the Russian Federation, in particular, on Russian energy resources. The sixth package provides for the gradual introduction of an embargo on oil imports from the Russian Federation. The ban will only affect sea shipments, and oil provided through the Druzhba pipeline is not subject to restrictions, but the government also took the initiative to give up Russian oil products until February 2023.
According to association's website statement, "as an alternative solution, the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection received an offer from the Rosneft Deutschland refinery shareholder to purchase crude oil from Kazakhstan".
According to this alternative plan, oil from Kazakhstan will be transported to the refinery in Schwedt, Germany via the Druzhba pipeline without falling under the embargo. According to the statement, “together with pipeline oil supplies from Rostock, the operation of the Schwedt refinery is likely to be 100% operational”.
“If everything fails, the interest group of business associations in East Germany and Berlin ...requires that Russian oil continue to deliver through the Druzhba pipeline. Finally, no one can explain why gas from Russia can be imported but oil cannot," the statement emphasizes.