The new federal government may have to deal with new sanctions against Russia soon after taking office. Shortly before the start of the coalition negotiations between the SPD, the Greens and the FDP, the US government recalled its joint declaration with the German government in July. In it, Germany and the USA threatened sanctions in the event that Russia uses the new Nord Stream 2 pipeline as a weapon. “I think we are getting closer to this line,” said the US State Department’s energy commissioner, Amos Hochstein, in a video press conference with international journalists.
The background to this is the Russian push for a faster operating license for the completed Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin recently gave the impression that this could alleviate the current gas shortage in Europe. “The first Nord Stream 2 pipeline is full and if the German authorities give the approval for delivery tomorrow, deliveries of 17.5 billion cubic meters will begin the day after tomorrow,” Putin said.
Both Nord Stream 2 pipes could deliver 55 billion cubic meters of gas from December. The Federal Network Agency is currently deciding in a certification procedure whether EU law will be complied with in the case of Nord Stream 2.
If Russia had enough gas for deliveries through Nord Stream 2, it could also increase its deliveries through the Ukrainian network, Hochstein emphasized. “Then you should do that too,” he said. Otherwise it is “difficult” not to see this as a use of energy as a weapon. Russia should also not have any influence on the German approval process, which is expected to be concluded in March at the earliest.
The co-chair of the Greens, Annalena Baerbock, had spoken out in favor of denying Nord Stream 2 the operating license because it is in the possession of the Russian gas supplier Gazprom, contrary to EU law.