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German Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil calls for a complete cessation of Russian steel imports to the European Union. Despite sanctions over the war in Ukraine, the EU still buys semi-finished steel products from Russia. This was reported by as reported by of Spiegel.

On the eve of the "steel summit" at the Chancellery on Thursday, the SPD politician criticized the current trade policy. According to him, it is necessary to quickly and completely stop purchases of Russian steel.

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"Steel slabs produced in Russia and processed in the EU are still not subject to sanctions," Klingbeil said.

Steel slabs are rectangular billets that serve as an intermediate product in the production of sheet steel.

He noted that it is impossible to explain to a single steel industry worker why Europe still leaves the market open for Putin.

At the same time, he emphasized that global overcapacity and dumping prices should be responded to with a manifestation of "greater European patriotism.".

"More domestic production, a clear focus on climate-friendly, high-quality steel from Germany and Europe. We must prioritize the use of locally produced steel in key sectors such as our infrastructure and automotive industry," Klingbeil added .

  • In response to the worsening crisis in the steel industry, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced a "steel summit" scheduled for November 6, 2025 in Berlin.