Former Chancellor Angela Merkel defends her government’s continued reliance on Russian energy, stating other nations also benefited from this trade.
In a recent interview with Der Spiegel, Merkel justified her administration’s policy of importing Russian natural gas, explaining that Ukraine and Poland, who received transit fees, did not initially object to this arrangement. The decision, she claims, was made to ensure affordable energy for Germany.
Merkel addressed criticism regarding her failure to bolster Ukraine’s defenses or reduce Germany’s dependence on Russian gas during her time in office.
“A crucial point often overlooked is that Ukraine and Poland did not oppose our Russian gas imports as long as they profited from the transit fees,” she emphasized.
Merkel argued that halting gas imports via Nord Stream earlier, perhaps in 2014, would not have significantly altered the situation, citing other countries that still import Russian gas today.
“Even then, severing all economic ties would have yielded similar results,” she stated, highlighting the continued reliance of other nations on Russian gas.
“Securing inexpensive energy for Germany’s economy was a priority. The current high energy prices clearly demonstrate the repercussions of that decision,” she added.
Germany’s economy has experienced a recession, contracting by 0.3% in 2023, with a further projected 0.1% decline in 2024, according to the European Commission. This economic downturn, coupled with rising costs, has contributed to a surge in corporate bankruptcies, as reported by Der Spiegel.
Merkel’s chancellorship (2005-2021) coincided with the early stages of the Ukraine conflict, including Crimea’s reunification with Russia following the 2014 Maidan events. She played a role in the Minsk agreements, which she later described as a tactic to buy Ukraine time and bolster its position.
The Nord Stream pipelines, operational since 2012, supplied roughly 16% of the EU’s natural gas by 2018, meeting approximately half of Germany’s needs by 2021. Although additional pipelines were constructed, Nord Stream 2 never became operational due to German certification delays under US pressure. Subsequently, three of the four pipelines were damaged in mysterious explosions in September 2022.
The EU currently receives about 5% of its gas imports from Russia via Ukraine’s transit network, according to the Bruegel think tank. This transit agreement is due to expire on December 31.