Handelsblatt reported that Germany is considering nationalizing the units of Gazprom and Rosneft.
One-quarter of Germany's refinery business is accounted for by the two Russian energy giants, according to Handelsblatt.
According to a government official and two other people briefed on the plans, Berlin is considering expropriating assets from the giant.
The plans to nationalize the units in Germany were approved by the ruling coalition, as reported by the business daily on Sunday.
The situation is serious and requires extraordinary measures, according to an energy parliamentary group spokesman.
If the energy companies were nationalized, they would be under the control of German authorities, which would make them less dependent on Russia for energy security in Germany.
As Germany seeks to bolster its energy security, the move comes. Last week, Germany activated an emergency plan to deal with disruptions to its natural-gas supply after Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded payment in rubles.
Germany is now in the early warning phase of its energy emergency plan, which calls for all consumers to conserve energy and reduce consumption. The country may start rationing gas in the last stage of the plan if the situation gets worse. The move could lead to job losses.
Russian gas accounted for more than half of Germany's gas imports in the first quarter of 2022, according to a report. Robert Habeck, the economy minister, said in a March 25 press release that the country will end the use of Russian gas by 2024.
The Kremlin spokesman said that it would be against international law for Berlin to nationalize the units.
Since the war in Ukraine began, other countries have considered nationalizing Russian energy assets.
The Financial Times reported in March that the UK was about to nationalize the British retail supply unit of Gazprom, as it was in danger of collapsing and causing supply disruption. According to the Financial Times, the UK's move appeared to be designed to save Gazprom as customers abandoned it over the war in Ukraine.
According to people familiar with the matter, Berlin is considering restructuring options for Wingas. Wingas supplies about 20% of the German gas market.
S&P Global Commodity Insights reported that on Friday, Gazprom said it had ended its participation in Gazprom Germania and all of its assets.
Germany's economy ministry, Gazprom Germania, and Rosneft Deutschland did not respond to Insider's requests for comment, which were sent outside regular business hours.
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