The government of Angela Merkel “capitulated” to Washington on the issue of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. This point of view is shared by the official representative of the Alternative for Germany faction (AdG) in the Bundestag on energy issues, Steffen Kotre.

As the parliamentarian said in an interview with the Russian agency RIA Novosti, the FRG government should have immediately blocked the way for any attempts to "torpedo" a project important for Germany’s energy security.

“In 2018, Ms. Merkel made it very clear that Nord Stream 2 is a purely bilateral economic project between Germany and Russia, which is not covered by EU law. Now the United States has managed to connect Nord Stream 2 with Ukraine destabilized by it. Under US pressure, the federal government submitted to this economic attack and surrendered, ”the parliamentarian said.

  • Steffen Kotre, representative of the Alternative for Germany faction in the Bundestag on energy issues
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  • © Sven Braun / dpa

According to Kotre, the current government of Germany "is no longer able to represent the interests of Germany." The politician also added that the situation in Ukraine has nothing to do with economic projects.

As Alexander Kamkin, a leading researcher at the Center for German Studies at the Institute of Europe at the Russian Academy of Sciences, explained in an interview with RT that the United States managed to link Nord Stream 2 to the Ukrainian agenda, the German parliamentarian had in mind recent negotiations in the Norman format, during which gas issues were raised.

“Merkel actually linked the settlement of the conflict in the Donbass with the gas theme. The solution of these two questions makes the problem complex, respectively, intractable. Of course, this was done under pressure from the Americans, who use a vassal foreign policy towards Germany, ”the expert said.

Steffen Kotre has already made critical statements, commenting in early November on the discussion around the EU gas directive affecting the Nord Stream 2 project. According to the representative of AdG, the States want to sell Germany their expensive liquefied natural gas (LNG), and the federal government succumbed to this pressure.

“The EU gas market directives are directed against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and our gas supply. The EU, as a vassal of the United States, originally wanted to prevent the emergence of this pipeline, and now, at least, take it under control. Meanwhile, this is a purely bilateral economic project between Germany and Russia, which does not fall under EU law. The EU regulates the domestic market, but not the gas pipelines between its members and third countries, ”said Steffen Kotre.

American pressure

Recall that Nord Stream 2 is an export gas pipeline that runs from Russia to Europe along the bottom of the Baltic Sea. The gas pipeline consists of two branches, the total capacity of which will be 55 billion cubic meters. m of gas per year. Together with the Nord Stream gas pipeline, the volume of gas deliveries along this route will reach about 110 billion cubic meters. m of gas per year. As specified on the Gazprom website, Nord Stream 2 will be commissioned before the end of 2019. The project operator is Nord Stream 2 AG, a subsidiary Gazprom.

Washington and Kiev have repeatedly criticized the project more than once - the Ukrainian side fears that it may lose income from the transit of Russian gas through its territory after the launch of a new gas pipeline bypassing Ukraine. For its part, the White House believes that increasing supplies of Russian fuel to the European market allegedly threatens the EU’s energy security. However, according to analysts, the real motive of the American side on this issue is not so much the imaginary concern for European partners as the desire to squeeze out competitors in the European gas market - in recent years, the United States has sought to increase LNG exports.

  • Gettyimages.ru

American politicians openly threaten sanctions to companies that participate in the Nord Stream 2 project. As the head of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Jim Rich, said earlier, such restrictions could be included in the final draft of the US defense budget for 2020.

Republican Senator Ted Cruz wrote on Twitter that there is a consensus between the Democratic and Republican parties that the States should stop the construction of the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

“In the coming days after approval in Congress, the president will sign a bill that includes targeted sanctions aimed at this, in particular, penalties for companies involved in laying the pipeline,” the legislator added.

German business considers the upcoming US sanctions against Nord Stream 2 an unacceptable interference in Europe’s energy policy. Such a statement was made on December 12 by the Union of German Enterprises "Eastern Committee of the German Economy".

“The implementation of these sanctions, which are aimed directly against European companies, will create a significant burden on transatlantic relations,” the union said in a statement.

In the coming days, Congress will pass and the president will sign into law targeted sanctions that will do exactly that, specifically penalizing the companies involved in installing the pipeline.

- Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) December 10, 2019

At the same time, Donald Trump, who had repeatedly criticized the Nord Stream 2 project, announced on December 4 that although the pipeline is a problem, Germany can solve it independently. Answering journalists' questions about the imposition of sanctions against the gas transportation project, the American leader noted that this decision has not yet been made.

Moreover, opposition to the project is carried out at the pan-European level. In March 2019, the European Parliament adopted a resolution in which the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline was called a threat to the EU’s internal market.

In April, the EU Council approved a new version of the gas directive, which is part of the Third Energy Package, which regulates the European gas market. For the new amendments voted 27 countries of the European Union, including Germany. According to the new rules, European standards apply not only to onshore gas pipelines located on the territory of European states, but also to offshore pipelines laid within the territorial waters of European countries.

According to the provisions of the Third Energy Package, one supplier cannot occupy the entire pipeline, part of the capacity should be reserved for alternative suppliers, such measures are supposed to prevent the monopolization of the market. In addition, the rules imply the separation of functions between a gas pipeline operator and a supplier - one company cannot fulfill both roles.

However, these changes did not cause concern among representatives of the Nord Stream 2 AG concern. This was stated in an interview with the channel "Russia 24" by Russia's Permanent Representative to the EU Vladimir Chizhov.

According to the diplomat, Berlin may achieve exceptions to the new rules for the Nord Stream 2 project.

“The issue of exemptions, in this case, for Nord Stream 2, is within the competence of the country where the corresponding gas pipeline belongs. The entry point to the European Union in this case is in Germany. Therefore, the solution to the issue is left to the energy regulator of Germany, ”said Chizhov.

Exception method

Indeed, in November, the Bundestag passed a bill regulating the application of the updated EU gas directive in Germany. According to the website of the German parliament, this law changes the definition of connecting pipelines in the gas industry.

“The goal is to extend the requirements of the domestic natural gas market to gas pipelines between an EU country and a non-EU state. In the future, the provisions of the regulatory law will have to be valid up to the land or sea border of the EU state. For existing pipelines in non-EU countries until May 24, 2020 there is a procedure for exemption from regulations, ”the authors of the amendments specify.

  • Angela Merkel
  • Reuters
  • © Hannibal Hanschke

For Nord Stream 2, the rules will be applied, according to which only on a stretch of 12 nautical miles off the coast of Germany will banding be carried out - a legal division of ownership. The authorities of the Federal Republic of Germany will regulate the work in this sector, although initially the European Commission insisted that it fall into its competence.

According to Alexander Kamkin, speaking of the "surrender" of Berlin to the United States, Steffen Kotre calls in his own names things that are shy about voicing the Social Democrats.

“Berlin could have openly opposed the adoption of amendments to the gas directive, and, of course, other European countries would certainly have listened to its voice. However, he simply said nothing. The decision-making mechanism in Brussels is extremely complex and in many respects does not depend on the will of national states, but, for example, any European country can appeal this decision or voice a negative position, ”the expert noted, adding that, despite the obstacles,“ Nord Stream 2 ”will be fully implemented.

A similar point of view is shared by the director of the Center for the Study of World Energy Markets of the Institute for Energy Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vyacheslav Kulagin. According to the expert, official Berlin has sufficient leverage to influence decision-making at the EU level.

“If the German government showed more will, now there would be more favorable conditions for the implementation of the Nord Stream 2 project. True, at one time Berlin nevertheless harshly explained to the United States that one should not try to block the project. In general, Germany is a good partner for Moscow, but nevertheless, the German authorities could show more will in order to clearly state their position, ”the expert emphasized.

However, experts call not to forget that the party “Alternative for Germany”, on behalf of which Steffen Kotre speaks, is an opponent of Angela Merkel and the ruling coalition. Therefore, behind the attacks of Kotre against the government, political motives may be hidden.

“Party statements are an element of the political struggle, especially when you consider that the leadership will soon change in Germany,” said Vyacheslav Kulagin.

According to Alexander Kamkin, the ruling coalition is approaching a new electoral cycle very weakened.

“The task of the Alternative for Germany faction is to enter the government, given that the Merkel era is coming to an end,” the expert summed up.