Earlier, a group of us senators headed by Republican Ted Cruz in the categorical form has demanded from the German port of Sassnitz to terminate participation in the construction of the pipeline. In response, the Committee on economy and energy of the Bundestag urged the German government to “resolutely fight back”. Specifically for the “RG” the situation was commented by the Chairman of the Federation Council Commission on information policy, the author of the analytical program “the PostScript” Alexey Pushkov:
– the Situation is unprecedented: never before has the United States and Germany was not in a conflict of such sharpness and depth. Washington threatens sanctions not only German companies but also government agencies, and in Germany there are calls for retaliatory action against the United States, in fact, retaliatory sanctions are primarily economic in nature. Everything else we see and a bad personal relationship between Donald trump and Angela Merkel. Not by chance the United States has recently decided on the withdrawal of a dozen thousand American servicemen from the territory of Germany – in part they will go home and will be partially relocated to Poland and other States closer to Russia. It is a signal to Germany that the United States cease to perceive her as their main partner on the European continent. Protecting “Nord stream-2”, Germany protects primarily itself. And this is not because Germany has a very strong Pro-Russian sentiment. First, German companies invested billions of dollars into this project. Second, the “Nord stream-2” should provide Germany the role of a major gas distribution centres in Europe. And thirdly, Germany was very tired from the cheeky-cheeky style of administration trump which show the trump, and the Secretary of state Pompeo, and former US Ambassador in Berlin Grenell. Supply of patience in the face of US pressure in regard to the “Nord stream-2” in Germany, apparently, is over. And here arises the question: what can Germany do in response? I believe that it could damage American interests with sanctions, if seriously want to. The problem is that in Germany very much Pro-American lobby on several issues it even stronger than those groups which advocate, in fact, German interests. In this case, we see the clash between the German and Euro-Atlantic interests, American interests in Europe.
I think Berlin will not surrender for two reasons. First, as I have already noted, relations between the two countries severely deteriorated. And for the Germans to give back would be to suffer a humiliating defeat, which will be perceived in the EU as a sign of weakness of Germany, which claims to be the informal leader of the EU. Without going RA��dialects that Merkel is weakened and loses the initiative, which intercepts the macron, and that with her departure to Germany may even lose its leadership. So now the Germans was more important than ever to demonstrate character. If they chose a position of support of the “Nord stream-2”, you should stick to it.
the Second reason, in addition to the purely economic, is that in November there will be presidential elections in the United States. And I admit that the administration Biden if he wins otherwise I put the question about the relationship between the United States and its allies in Europe, including Germany. The Germans are well aware, if they refuse, we will never return. But if you make it to elections in the United States, which with high probability can defeat the opponent of trump, then we might have a completely new situation when it reviewed the totality of relations between Washington and Berlin. In the event of their victory, Biden, who is a big supporter of Atlanticism, will try to fix those potholes, which the administration trump struck the ship German-American relations. And then Germany has a chance and keep the “Nord stream-2”, and to some extent to take into account the interests of the United States, for example, from the point of view of purchases of U.S. liquefied natural gas.
I Believe that the arrival of Maas in Russia is one of the steps towards a six-month maneuver of the German diplomacy, which is important to preserve the prospects of the “Nord stream-2” and to await the outcome of the November elections. But this visit is also important from the point of view of long-term relationships and strategic plans, especially given the fact that the EU is in profound crisis because of the withdrawal of Britain, and he has, in General, no clear foreign policy. At least, not very clear what it is and what its priorities. The EU deals mainly with internal problems, it is not in resolving major regional crises. The role of the EU is not observed in the middle East or in Iran or in nuclear programs of North Korea. In the Ukrainian crisis there is some participation, but it is mediated through Germany and France. From an economic point of view, the EU is a giant but a political dwarf. And the only serious reserve, which is the EU in conditions of poor relations with the United States, is Russia. The China – primarily economic partner of the Europeans in the political sphere, they have not so many interaction points. But Russia is a natural partner of the EU because we share one continent. Those problems that important for the EU, important for us, and Vice versa. Cooperation with Russia is expanding the capacity of Germany, strengthens its role as leader of the EU. Those European countries, which tend to be from��oceniam with Moscow, such as Italy, Hungary, Finland, Greece, Cyprus, France, Spain, you can be sure that Germany is able to engage in dialogue with such an important power center like Russia. In my opinion, this is a big plus for German diplomacy. Thus Berlin argues that it is not confined only to the European and American dimensions of its foreign policy. And given the fact that the world is built, a new configuration of force fields in Germany to understand, to abandon dialogue with Russia, it means to shorten their own hands.
“the Russian newspaper” congratulates our author, Senator, journalist and TV presenter Alexei Pushkov, on Monday, marking the 66th anniversary.
