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Tuesday, September 08, 2020
A comment from Jan Gänger
Donald Trump wants to force Germany to give up Nord Stream 2 and buy American liquefied gas instead. The federal government should wisely yield to pressure from the president of the United States.
When Donald Trump asks a question, he is usually selfish, inconsiderate, and often wrong. However, it happens that you ask for the right thing for the wrong reasons. This is the case with Nord Stream 2.
The president of the United States wants Germany to get less gas from Russia and buy liquefied gas from the United States instead. To achieve this, it wants to stop building Nord Stream 2. Furthermore, the United States has even initiated sanctions. In the spirit of the “America first” mantra, this is an attack on the sovereignty of both Germany and the EU. The fact that Europe is becoming even more dependent on Russia through the pipeline changes nothing in the tough self-interest.
Still, it would be wise to accommodate Trump here. For the federal government, this is an opportunity to save face from exiting a project that was a mistake from the start. Because the pipe should never have been built.
Nord Stream 2 increases the influence of the Kremlin in Germany and divides Europe. President Vladimir Putin has used power supplies as a weapon on several occasions. The state company Gazprom is an instrument of power that the federal government cannot make more effective.
Germany has to confront Putin, if only for its own interest. Putin’s goal is to destabilize the West. Russia interferes in the elections. Under Putin, the country has inexorably become increasingly autocratic. Oppositionists are arrested or poisoned. Putin annexed Crimea and invaded Georgia. Protect the Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad.
There is enough gas
Energy is where the West can particularly hurt Putin. Russia depends on revenue from oil and gas sales. There is no better way to pressure Putin.
None of this means freezing relations with Russia. It’s about not buying more gasoline from there. Liquefied gas from the US is, despite fracking, one of the alternatives. Norway is another, the North African countries another. There is enough gas. It doesn’t have to be Russian.
It goes without saying that Trump pursues the economic interests of the United States. But that doesn’t change the fact that politically it would be a good move for Germany to buy less gas from Russia and more from other countries.
If Germany buys more American gas, a dispute will be resolved that will strain relations between the two countries and the EU. Furthermore, the relationship between Trump and Putin is likely to cool down noticeably. From a security policy and geostrategic point of view, this is desirable for Germany and the EU.
It is economically feasible to do without Nord Stream 2. Politically, it is imperative to stop the project. Even if Trump is completely untrustworthy, not only in this matter: the challenge is the opposite of real independence.
