Burgomasters of a number of German cities and communes of the federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern sent a letter to the authorities of the region and the federal government of Germany, urging them to consider the possibility of using Nord Stream 2 (SP-2).

This was reported by the DPA agency, which received the message.

“We are of the opinion that the path chosen by the German government to abandon Russian energy sources is not the right one,” the appeal says.

Its authors clarified that this is not about “convulsively” putting Nord Stream 2 into operation, but about ensuring Germany’s energy security in the long term.

The signatories believe that against the backdrop of technical difficulties in ensuring the full volume of gas pumping through Nord Stream, it is necessary to look for new ways to stabilize the situation - and the launch of SP-2 may become one of them.

The burgomasters also stressed the importance of a balanced approach to assessing the possible damage to the population and economy in the region.

The authors of the letter represent seven cities and communes located on the island of Rügen in the Baltic Sea, including the popular tourist cities of Binz, Bergen and Sassnitz.

As the mayor of the latter, Frank Kracht, noted in an interview with the NDR television channel, Rügen politicians are in favor of rethinking the solution to current problems in the light of relations with Russia and do not want to introduce further restrictions on their territory, in particular on hot water supply.

"Need to negotiate with Russia"

It should be noted that this is not the first time German society has called for Berlin to launch Nord Stream 2.

Thus, Klaus Ernst, head of the Bundestag committee on energy and climate protection, made a corresponding statement in early July.

In an interview with the Rheinische Post, he called for negotiations with Russia on energy supplies, arguing that the federal government must do everything to ensure Germany's energy supply.

“We need to negotiate with Russia on energy supplies.

If necessary, also about the commissioning of Nord Stream 2 for a limited period of time, if gas supplies cannot be guaranteed in any other way,” said Ernst.

He also believes that EU countries should reconsider energy sanctions against Russia, as they have the opposite effect.

“Energy sanctions are good for Russia.

They lead to fewer sales, but the income from these sales is generally higher, ”the politician stated.

Meanwhile, according to him, interruptions in the supply of gas will seriously affect the people of Germany and provoke devastating consequences for the industry.

The position of Klaus Ernst is also shared by Bundestag deputy from the Left party Sarah Wagenknecht.

On her Twitter, she wrote that the economic war would have a detrimental effect on Germany.

“The economic war is destroying us, not Russia!

Lift sanctions, if necessary, receive gas through Nord Stream 2!”

Wagenknecht called.

  • Dresden

  • Gettyimages.ru

  • © Matthew Micah Wright

Ordinary Germans are also in favor of putting the SP-2 into operation.

Thus, readers of the newspaper Die Welt demanded that the federal government launch a gas pipeline in order to ensure the economic and social security of the country.

They believe that the freezing of Nord Stream 2 was initially a mistake and a politically motivated decision.

Readers of the publication also accused the authorities of the country depending on the United States, which consider Germany "only as an application."

Surrender of positions

At the same time, official Berlin continues to adhere to the existing position regarding Nord Stream 2.

Thus, on the sidelines of a conference in Munich on July 6, the head of the German Ministry of Economy, Robert Habeck, drew attention to the fact that SP-2 was not certified and was under US sanctions.

In this regard, as he noted, the gas pipeline cannot be considered as an option to overcome the energy crisis.

Later, in an interview with ZDF, Habek even compared the launch of Nord Stream 2 with the surrender of all political positions in Europe.

“Allowing Nord Stream 2 would mean increasing our dependence on Russian gas again – in contrast to what we have been doing here for the past six months – and of course, thus capitulating with all the sanctions that we have adopted,” the minister stressed.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is also not enthusiastic about the idea of ​​a possible launch of SP-2, as Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed out.

During a press conference following a working visit to Iran on July 19, he said that he had discussed with Scholz the commissioning of the gas pipeline.

“The answer was that there are now other issues, more important, now it’s difficult to deal with this, it’s out of place,” the Russian leader said.

Scholz himself later explained the reluctance of the German leadership to use Nord Stream 2 by the presence of other existing gas pipelines.

“There are several pipelines that go to Germany.

Some of that capacity will be enough to meet Russia's supply commitments, whether it's a pipeline through Ukraine, Yamal, or Nord Stream.

Thus, there are three pipelines in operation, and technically it will never be a problem to fulfill all the supply obligations that Russia has,” the chancellor said.

  • The Nord Stream gas pipeline near the German city of Lubmin

  • RIA News

  • © Alexey Vitvitsky

"Afraid of losing face"

Experts interviewed by RT agree that the German leadership today gives priority to the foreign policy vector, rather than social or economic.

And the longer this situation persists, the more the German authorities will drive themselves into a dead end, says Vladimir Vinokurov, professor at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

“Hence the statements of representatives of the establishment about “surrender” in the event of the launch of Nord Stream 2.

They are afraid of losing face, for them the loss of a political image is the worst thing.

In addition, they have already crossed the line when it was possible to retreat and agree to certify the SP-2.

Now, in a situation where it is impossible to fill the gas storage facilities as much as possible on time, dances begin to find a way out, ”Vinokurov explained in an interview with RT.

At the same time, as he noted, the German government is well aware of what the gas crisis is fraught with.

Earlier, German Interior Minister Nancy Feser, in an interview with Handelsblatt correspondents, admitted the possibility of radical protests in the country due to difficulties with gas supplies and a sharp rise in energy prices, the analyst recalled.

“For the Germans, the warning about the protest potential sounds scary in general.

And this turbulent situation, in the absence of adequate decisions from the authorities, will only get worse,” Vinokurov predicts.

In turn, Alexander Kamkin, senior researcher at IMEMO RAS, in a conversation with RT, drew attention to the fact that Germany is now not a completely sovereign country, since its policy "goes hand in hand with the course of the big brother from Washington."

“Accordingly, Berlin continues to pursue a counterproductive policy and claim that it is Russia that is to blame for the disruption of gas supplies,” he explained.

At the same time, the expert considered justified the statement of Robert Habek that the possible launch of Nord Stream 2 would mark the capitulation of the West and the futility of its sanctions policy.

“However, this would be a capitulation to common sense.

Therefore, in Berlin they will delay the resolution of the gas situation until the last moment and try to leave at the expense of green alternatives such as wind energy and a decrease in the degree of space heating.

However, this is fraught with a decline in the competitiveness of the German economy and social discontent,” Kamkin summed up.