Brussels, Berlin It is an attempt to avert new US sanctions against Nord Stream 2 – but it could do the exact opposite and provoke disputes among the traffic light partners: During talks in Washington, the outgoing federal government warned against the ” transatlantic unity ”.
In a confidential paper that German government representatives handed over to their American counterparts, Berlin is promoting a common transatlantic policy on the Nord Stream 2 issue. Also to prevent Russia from “misusing the pipeline for aggressive political goals”.
At the same time, the German government warns: “We are concerned that renewed unilateral action by the US Congress could undermine this common endeavor and seriously weaken transatlantic unity with regard to Russia.”
The move irritates the Greens, who have been fighting Nord Stream 2 politically for years and who will occupy both the Foreign Office and the economic department in the future traffic light coalition. Both houses play a key role in the pipeline controversy.
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“It is remarkable that the previous government is still actively campaigning for Nord Stream 2 in Washington, although it is well known that we, as future coalition partners, are very critical of the project,” said Omid Nouripour, foreign policy spokesman for the green parliamentary group. the Handelsblatt. He thinks it “cannot be ruled out that advertising for Nord Stream 2 in Washington will achieve exactly the opposite of the desired effect”.
Disagreement between the future coalitionists
The Federal Foreign Office is trying to reassure the future Green hosts: The paper does not show the whole picture, it only represents a section of the diplomatic initiatives.
“In Washington we reaffirmed that, in addition to national instruments, we would also work in the EU for effective countermeasures if Russia were to use energy as a weapon,” the ministry said. “Discussions are already underway at European level about possible measures and sanctions in order to be able to react to malicious behavior by Russia in the future. We want to coordinate this with the USA as closely as possible, instead of threatening each other with sanctions. “
The future traffic light coalition is divided on the Nord Stream 2 issue. The issue is not mentioned in the coalition agreement because the parties were unable to resolve their differences. The SPD defends the project as a contribution to strengthening the European energy supply.
Parts of the FDP, on the other hand, are just as critical of the pipeline as the Greens: Liberal foreign politicians in particular fear that a second direct gas connection between Germany and Russia will weaken the strategic position of Ukraine, which has so far received important income from the transit of Russian gas.
In the energy chapter of the coalition agreement, it says tellingly: “European energy law applies to energy policy projects in Germany as well.” For the SPD, this formulation means that the future federal government will not make any political efforts to stop Nord Stream 2 after all.
From a Green point of view, on the other hand, the agreement in the coalition agreement means that Berlin will not exert any pressure on the EU Commission, which could still put considerable regulatory hurdles in the way of the pipeline. “The certification procedure before the Federal Network Agency has to be carried out according to the law, no more and no less,” Nouripour clarified.
Merkel was unable to defuse the conflict
A geopolitical conflict has been raging around Nord Stream 2 for years. The project is seen as a threat in Ukraine, and the Balts and Poles are also warning against increasing their dependence on Russian energy supplies. The US is also fighting the pipeline and has sanctioned several Russian ships. US President Joe Biden is afraid to put the operating company Nord Stream 2 AG and its German boss Matthias Warnig on the sanctions list – out of consideration for the relationship with Berlin.
The outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) had hoped to resolve the transatlantic dispute over Nord Stream 2 with a joint declaration. In it, Germany pledges to support Ukraine in the green transformation and to advocate new sanctions in the EU if Russia uses “energy as a weapon”.
But the hope of having pacified the conflict with it has just been dashed. In the US Congress, several drafts for a tightening of the Russia sanctions are currently being discussed, which could force Biden to impose economic fines on Nord Stream 2 AG after all. Republicans blocked a vote on a defense budget bill Monday night to enforce binding sanctions.
The fact that the controversial climate foundation of the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has stepped in as the owner of a freighter called the Blue Ship, which is supposed to do the final work on the pipeline, gives the sanctions debate further impetus: it is supported by the Nord Stream 2 opponents in Congress regarded as proof that the Germans should not be trusted and that a binding sanctions law is inevitable.
Omid Nouripour is the foreign policy spokesman for the green parliamentary group.
(Photo: AP)
The Greens have mixed feelings about the controversy in Congress. “We have rejected the US sanctions from the start, and this rejection naturally extends to the most recent sanctions efforts,” said external expert Nouripour. “But that doesn’t change the fact that Nord Stream 2 runs counter to European and German interests, increases our dependency on Russian gas supplies to an unacceptable level and also endangers Ukraine’s security.”
Environmentalists are also continuing to oppose the pipeline. “It is completely incomprehensible that German diplomats are so committed to the largest fossil fuel project in Europe,” said Constantin Zerger, Head of Energy and Climate Protection at Deutsche Umwelthilfe. “It is obvious that Nord Stream 2 not only jeopardizes energy security in Europe, but also the compliance with climate targets. We therefore expect the new federal government to finally put an end to it and withdraw its support for Nord Stream 2. “
More: USA and Germany settle pipeline dispute – Ukraine should become an exporter of green hydrogen.