The main shareholder of Germany's largest gas importer, the Finnish state concern Fortum, believes that it is Berlin that should take measures to ensure the operation of the company, Voice of America reports.. Berlin thinks differently.

A dispute arose between Germany and Finland over the cost of bailing out gas importer Uniper. Uniper's main shareholder, Finnish state-owned energy company Fortum, has rejected the German economy minister's call for help to rescue the stricken company..

Uniper, Germany's largest gas importer, this week asked the German government for financial assistance, warning that losses due to reduced supplies from Russia and a sharp increase in gas prices could reach 10 billion euros this year..

However, German Economics Minister Robert Habeck said that Uniper's main shareholder, Finnish state-owned energy company Fortum, should also do its part to save.

“It [Uniper] belongs to those who are solvent and can provide support,” said Habek, who is also energy minister, in an interview with radio Deutschlandfunk.. “Therefore, it is correct to consider models in which the owners also fulfill their obligations.”.

The Finnish concern Fortum, which offered to transfer its German company Uniper to the state ownership of Germany, replied that it had already provided the company with loans and guarantees for 8 billion euros..

“German supply security business should be owned by a state with the necessary high creditworthiness” as gas prices could continue to rise, Markus Rauram, CEO of Finnish state concern Fortum, said in an email..

Indeed, for Finland, whose economy is 13 times smaller than that of Germany, this is a serious problem.. “Saving Uniper is a matter of European importance,” said Titti Tuppurainen, Finnish Minister for EU Affairs.. “We urge that Uniper's system-critical facilities at risk be. taken under state control.

While Russia is claiming technical problems with pumping gas through Nord Stream, Western governments are calling it a pretext by which Moscow is responding to devastating sanctions imposed in connection with its invasion of Ukraine.

Germany has allocated 15 billion euros to buy gas from other countries to fill gas storage facilities by winter, while the authorities called on the public to save energy. Habek warned that if gas prices rise even more, this may not be enough.

“Germans shower on average 10 minutes,” he said.. “And I think even five minutes is too long.”.

Some housing associations have already said that they will lower the heating temperature in houses and apartments this winter, and Habek said that heating in workplaces can also be reduced..

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a video message Saturday that energy security issues will preoccupy Germany “in the coming weeks, months and years.”.

Recall that earlier Uniper was suspected of paying for Russian gas in Russian rubles.. We also recall that Gazprom reduced gas supplies to Germany via Nord Stream 1 by 60%, citing the fact that Canada, in connection with the sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation for the invasion of Ukraine, does not return the turbine, which was being repaired in Montreal. Last Friday, the Kremlin announced that they would increase gas supplies to Europe only after the return of the turbine.