By Vera Eckert, Christoph Steitz and Nina Chestney FRANKFURT/LONDON (Reuters) – German utilities on Thursday said their country needed an early warning system to tackle gas shortages, a day after Russia ordered the switch of contract payments to roubles, raising the risk of a supply squeeze and even higher prices. President Vladimir Putin’s rouble payment demand, which IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol called a “security threat”, added to market nervousness and calls into question Russia’s historic claim it is a reliable gas supplier regardless of geopolitics. Europe’s energy sector is alread…

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