German Economy Minister Robert Habeck recently described his current energy policy as "a sort of an arm wrestling match" with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Putin may have the longer arm for now, he said on Sunday, but that doesn't mean "we can't attain a stronger arm with effort."

Habeck, a member of the environmentalist Green Party, is facing a nightmare scenario. With Russia slowing its gas supply in retaliation to Western sanctions imposed over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, German energy security has been plunged into disarray.

Berlin is eager to fill its gas storage sites to 80% capacity by October 1, and 90% by November to meet gas demand for the cold winter months. Currently, gas stores are only about 57% full. The "effort" Habeck was alluding to now means saving gas wherever possible, including that which is used to generate electricity.