German "allies" capitalize on Germany's gas crisis

Source: (https://bit.ly/3yqLFUw)
Germany has become extremely reliant on liquified natural gas from
the United States to keep its industrial sector and economy afloat,
and since the Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions, Germany has
become even more dependent.
The pipeline explosion changes the entire geopolitical position
of Germany, as it cut off any hope Germany had of restarting
relations with Russia and regaining access to cheap gas supplies,
which have served as the bedrock of the country’s industrial sector.
Given the circumstances, Germany is growing angry over the
"sky-high" gas prices it has to pay from so-called "friendly
countries."
Federal Minister of Economy Robert Habeck has criticized the high
cost of delivering liquid gas to Germany. He says that even "friendly
countries" have sometimes demanded "astronomical prices," Habeck
told the Osnabrucker Zeitung. He said there is need for further
discussion in order to bring prices down.
"I think such solidarity would also be good for curbing gas prices,"
emphasized the Green politician with a view to the government in
Washington.
The EU must also "bundle its market power and orchestrate a smart
and synchronized purchasing practice for EU states so that individual
member countries do not outbid each other and drive up world market
prices. The market power of the member states is "enormous."
Besides his criticism of the U.S., Habeck left it open as to which
countries he was accusing of price gouging. After Russia stopped
being a crucial gas supplier, Germany imported gas primarily from
Norway, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Germany’s gas storage
facilities are currently 90 percent full, but there are fears that even
if the country makes it through the winter with enough gas, prices
will rise to unsustainable levels, leading to deindustrialization
in the country and a severe recession that could lead to a permanent
loss of prosperity.