How Russian Gas Became Europe’S Virtually Divisive Commodity

As the kids say: Find individual to hold off at y'all the means Putin looks at Gerhard Schröder.

 

Zeit Online

They besides hug a lot.
 A lot.

From the Financial Times:

FT Big Read, July 17:
Nord Stream 2 volition pipage unloose energy to Deutschland only critics warn of political tensions

Lubmin is a picturesque resort on Germany’s Baltic Sea coast that boasts a long stretch of sandy beach bordered past times soft dunes too a lush pino forest. Located a few hours due north of Berlin, the town offers tourists a postcard version of seaside tranquility. Or it would, were it non for the fleet of excavator barges that sails out from the local port every day, too the large edifice site hiding behind the pines.

Both are business office of a fiercely contentious projection that has separate Europe downwards the middle, too laid Deutschland on a collision course of didactics amongst to a greater extent than or less of its closest allies. Out inwards the sea, the excavator barges are earthworks a massive underwater trench that runs inwards a instantly work towards the edifice site on land. If all goes to plan, that trench volition presently concur a pipeline filled amongst the most explosive commodity inwards European politics today: Russian gas. 

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline has been inwards planning since 2015, too is due for completion inwards slowly 2019. Its defenders debate the projection makes perfect commercial sense: the pipeline volition connect the world’s biggest exporter of natural gas amongst the largest economic scheme inwards Europe, doubling the capacity of the existing trans-Baltic link, Nord Stream 1, which has been operational since 2011. Together, the ii pipelines volition eventually survive able to behave 110bn cubic metres a twelvemonth of natural gas, plenty to come across nigh a quarter of full demand across the EU.

Critics consider the pipeline — too Germany’s move inwards it — equally an deed of betrayal too a geopolitical folly of the kickoff order. Countries such equally Poland too Ukraine accept denounced it equally a blatant endeavour to marginalise their ain gas pipelines — too a reckless deed that volition exit them too the residuum of Europe at the mercy of Moscow. The European Commission is to a greater extent than or less other opponent of Nord Stream, arguing the projection undermines its force for greater unloose energy independence too to a greater extent than diversified supplies.

The most formidable adversary, however, sits inwards Washington. President Donald Trump has made clear repeatedly that he wants to halt the €9.5bn projection — too that he is ready to impose tough sanctions to attain that goal. Last week, Mr Trump launched a blistering laid on on the novel pipeline at the Nato summit inwards Brussels, alert that Deutschland had larn “captive to Russia, because it’s getting then much of its unloose energy from Russia”.

Kirsten Westphal, an unloose energy analyst at the High German Institute for International too Security Affairs, likens Nord Stream 2 to an “onion” — y'all pare away layer later on layer of tilt solely to honour that the adjacent ane is to a greater extent than contentious still. At its core, however, the pipeline poses a uncomplicated only crucial question: should the westward trust Russian Federation or not?

 “Russia’s annexation of Crimea inwards 2014 too the state of war inwards Ukraine accept changed everything,” says Ms Westphal. “For many people inwards the west, the persuasion that Russian Federation is a dependable partner has gone. There is doubt: given all the geopolitical tensions, should nosotros farther expand our unloose energy human relationship amongst Russia? Should nosotros brand a bet, despite it all, to proceed the channel open?”....

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