Germany's reliance on Russian gas addressed by Eva Maydell
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Brandon Weichert, a geopolitical analyst and author of Winning space: How America Remains a Superpower, told Express.co.uk that Berlin is planning to continue receiving gas from Russia. It comes as Moscow warned that “unfriendly” countries had until March 31 to pay for its gas in rubles or else face a supply cut. While European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged countries to reject the request as it would undermine sanctions, Germany looks poised to cave to Moscow’s demands.
Mr Weichert said: “Berlin is disinterested in being the seat of resistance against Russia in this new somewhat cold war with Moscow.
“Not only is Germany dependent on Russia (still) for cheap, easily accessible natural gas but Berlin has designs to be a strategic balancer against what it perceives to be unwanted American influence over Europe.”
Germany was slower than its Western counterparts to ship over lethal aid to Ukraine to fight the Russians.
Mr Scholz then U-turned and this week agreed to provide Kyiv with anti-aircraft tanks.
But Mr Weichert does not think this tone will last long.
He told Express.co.uk: ”It is true that Scholz appeared to have a (slight) change of heart and began supporting the transfer of German weapons to Ukraine as the Russian invasion of Ukraine wore on.
“However, Scholz and his advisers have never agreed with Washington that a long war in Ukraine was either necessary or desirable.
“Berlin will once again slow down and step back from its position of offloading critical weapons to Ukraine in the hopes that they can help cool tensions down and resolve the Russo-Ukraine War peacefully – all to get that natural gas flowing back into Germany and to go back to the way things were before the invasion.”
Germany has previously indicated that it is willing to part ways with Russian gas eventually, arguing that an immediate ban would be too damaging for its economy.
Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck has claimed that Germany can cut its imports of Russian oil in half by midsummer.
He also claimed Germany could completely phase out Russian gas by the middle of 2024, despite the EU’s goal to slash oil and gas imports altogether by 2027.
And German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht said during a TV interview earlier this month following the alleged war crimes committed by Russian troops in Bucha: “There has to be a reaction.
“Energy sanctions are among the things that will be discussed.
Mr Weichert warned Germany that it needs to up the ante.
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He said: “Germany should realise – there is no going back.
“Whatever happens in Europe, Russian hostility is now a fact of life and Germany will soon have to pick sides.
“My fear is that Germany will choose to try to balance Russia and America off each other–or worse, that Berlin will eventually side with Moscow both for the energy and because elements of Germany’s elite truly believe that Russia can be used as a reliable partner in balancing against China’s rise in the East.
“The Western opposition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made this a near-impossibility. Scholz will continue, though, to stymie the Western alliance the longer the crisis goes on precisely because he does not want to exacerbate tensions.”
And Mr Weichert fears that Berlin’s cosying up to Russia is far from over.
He said: “It remains to be seen whether Germany will have the influence it thinks it does to slow the Western support for Ukraine’s war effort. In the meantime, this is only the beginning of Germany’s double-dealing.”
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