Germany Wobbles on Russian Gas Pipeline as Trump Pressure Starts to Bite

[kudzu]

they do.
my point is that crippling the Russian economy does not help the west, it just drives them closer to China for relief

I am not one who admires Russia or Putin, but how much do you need to love them to buy natural gas from them?

We need a statesman.. not another insecure dick.

[cancel2 2022]

which might explain the wobbling from Berlin? Looks like they are rethinking it.
My personal opinion is they are on the right course with the pipeline and diversification both.

Trumps admin are threatening sanctions on companies involved in Nordstream 2, no doubt Putin told him to do that as well.

[kudzu]

Trump leaned on them they wouldn't have done so otherwise.

LOLOL.. Did Trump tell you that? His grandiosity is a symptom of his horrible personality disorder.

[dukkha]

I am not one who admires Russia or Putin, but how much do you need to love them to buy natural gas from them?

We need a statesman.. not another insecure dick.

I am not going to debate your rants.
I personally think Trump is doing a really fine job running the ship of state. You don't. I get it.

If you want to address specifics, I'm all in.

[dukkha]

Trumps admin are threatening sanctions on companies involved in Nordstream 2, no doubt Putin told him to do that as well.

looks to me like the German ports might be both a concession to Trump on trade and a diversification theme both

[cancel2 2022]

LOLOL.. Did Trump tell you that? His grandiosity is a symptom of his horrible personality disorder.

You're an idiot, just give it a rest!!


https://www.kyivpost.com/business/tr...?cn-reloaded=1

[dukkha]

But many energy analysts agree that the pipeline is dangerous!!!
Ariel Cohen, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, is one..
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-u...-idUSKCN1PB04V

lord help us all from the Russiaphobes

[kudzu]

I am not going to debate your rants.
I personally think Trump is doing a really fine job running the ship of state. You don't. I get it.

If you want to address specifics, I'm all in.

Trump lies and brags and takes credit for things he didn't do and has no control over.

[anatta]

Trump lies and brags and takes credit for things he didn't do and has no control over.

I don't feel like arguing about it. I won't even go into a speech about "outcomes"

[kudzu]

Why is it controversial?

EU countries: The planned route bypasses central and eastern European countries such as Slovakia and Poland, leaving them without a chance to collect lucrative gas transit fees. Moreover, with Russia having means to directly deliver gas to its most important buyer, Germany, it would be much easier for the Russian government to shut off existing pipelines leading through Eastern Europe.

The project also runs contrary to Brussels' efforts to wean Europe off Russian gas. In April 2018, the EU Commission refused to back the project, saying it did not contribute to the EU goals of diversifying the gas supplies. Separately, environmentalists claim the pipeline would be harmful for the flora and fauna of the Baltic Sea.

Ukraine fears the Nord Stream Pipeline
Ukraine: Russia could easily cut off gas supplies to Ukraine in order to put pressure on Kyiv. Ukraine is making about $2 billion (€1.7) on gas transit fees per year, making it a key source of income for the country. Whenever Russia closed the valves in recent years, the lack of sales hurt both Gazprom and its buyers in rich, Western European countries, making all sides interested in overcoming the crisis.

The United States: On the global stage, critics accuse Berlin of ignoring the interests of its allies by filling Russia's coffers at the time of a diplomatic conflict. US President Donald Trump slammed Berlin in July 2018, saying it was "captive to Russia" due to its energy policy. "Pipeline dollars to Russia are not acceptable!" he tweeted.

Watch video00:21

Trump slams Germany over pipeline at NATO
The United States also has a practical reason to oppose Nord Stream 2. Its companies have already started selling gas obtained by fracking to European countries, backed by US authorities who say Europe should seek alternatives to Russia. However, the US gas is more expensive than that supplied through Russian pipelines.

What does the future hold for Nord Stream 2?

Berlin's response: Germany has so far stuck to its guns and presented the project as a purely economic issue. Its officials emphasize that West Germany imported gas from the Soviet Union during the Cold War era, and that Moscow is more dependent on exporting gas than the other way around. Also, with European gas fields nearly spent and Germany phasing out nuclear power, Berlin needs a reliable source of energy to facilitate its long-term shift to renewable sources.

Pressuring Russia over Ukraine: At the same time, Chancellor Angela Merkel sought to alleviate fears in Kyiv while meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in May 2018. "The German viewpoint is that Ukraine would have to keep its role as a transit nation after Nord Stream 2 has been completed," she said. "This is a matter of strategic significance."

In turn, Putin pledged only that the gas transits through Ukraine would not be suspended "as long as they are economically justified."

Watch video01:32
Controversial gas pipeline project
Construction underway
German authorities have already granted all necessary permits and, in May 2018, officially started construction on the pipeline's ending point near Greifswald. Finland and Sweden also approved the construction, with Denmark still withholding consent on environmental grounds. However, project organizers have said that even with Denmark's veto, the pipeline could simply take an alternative route. According to the current plans, the construction of the pipeline should be completed before the end of 2019.

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https://www.dw.com/en/nord-stream-2-...out/a-44677741

[cancel2 2022]

But many energy analysts agree that the pipeline is dangerous!!!
Ariel Cohen, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, is one..
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-u...-idUSKCN1PB04V

lord help us all from the Russiaphobes

It's not Russophobia, it's common sense. Why would any major country allow itself to be blackmailed by a potential aggressor?

[cancel2 2022]

I don't feel like arguing about it. I won't even go into a speech about "outcomes"

She moans about Trump yet Obama had the exact same concerns over German reliance on Russian gas. She is an idiot, pay her no mind!!

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-u...A2P0W220140326

[anatta]

Why is it controversial?



Berlin eyes options as US gas export drive takes on Russia's Gazprom
Germany has welcomed a planned rise in US gas exports to the EU. But combined with Washington's opposition to a Russian-German gas pipeline, the move highlights Berlin's complex position between Moscow and the US. (24.05.2018)

Russian pipe dream hits raw European nerve



https://www.dw.com/en/nord-stream-2-...out/a-44677741

Aside from a pipeline is always controversial ( as you know much more then me) it's almost become a talisman of EU/Russian relations.

The eastern European transit countries don't want to get shut out by Nordstream2,
So they agitate to make LNG a Russia/west "controversy"

Nordstram2 is a natural route from one natural trading partner to the other. Going thru eastern Europe
defeats the purpose of German upgraded North Sea infrastructure to handle the new flow

[cancel2 2022]

Aside from a pipeline is always controversial ( as you know much more then me) it's almost become a talisman of EU/Russian relations.

The eastern European transit countries don't want to get shut out by Nordstream2,
So they agitate to make LNG a Russia/west "controversy"

Nordstram2 is a natural route from one natural trading partner to the other. Going thru eastern Europe
defeats the purpose of German upgraded North Sea infrastructure to handle the new flow

Why are you so hung up about the routing? You just seem to miss the point entirely, both Trump and Obama agree that it's a strategic issue first and foremost.

[kudzu]

Aside from a pipeline is always controversial ( as you know much more then me) it's almost become a talisman of EU/Russian relations.

The eastern European transit countries don't want to get shut out by Nordstream2,
So they agitate to make LNG a Russia/west "controversy"

Nordstram2 is a natural route from one natural trading partner to the other. Going thru eastern Europe
defeats the purpose of German upgraded North Sea infrastructure to handle the new flow

It would be nice if Trump was as concerned for American ranchers as he is about the Germans.