Germany maintains indirect Russian energy links via fertilizer imports

Germany continues to maintain indirect economic links to Russian energy through the import of nitrogen-based fertilizers. Although imports of nitrogen via Russian fertilizers decreased by approximately 66% in the 2025-2026 period to 48,800 tons, this volume remains 53% higher than the 31,800 tons recorded in the 2020-2021 period before the invasion of Ukraine. High energy costs in Germany keep these Russian-produced products competitive despite European efforts to reduce energy dependency.

Separately, German natural gas storage levels were reported at 59.78% as of October 11, 2026. This figure is notably lower than the current European average of 73.46% and represents a decline compared to previous years at the same point in time.