German Economy Minister Robert Habeck on Saturday called for Germany to reduce its dependence on Russian natural gas as tensions remain over the Ukraine standoff.

His comments, published on Saturday, were made as the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, meant to transport Russian gas under the Baltic Sea to Germany, remains on hold and under the threat of sanctions. [...]

"We must improve our preparedness for next winter," the Green Party politician told the newspapers of the Funke Media Group and the French regional daily Ouest-France.

Habeck said the Ukraine crisis is forcing Germany to "create other import opportunities and to diversify its supply, including infrastructural issues."

"We have to act here and better secure ourselves. If we don't, we become a pawn in the game [of Russia]."