Al Mayadeen: Merkel was "having an affair" at the same time with Russia and the United StatesAlthough Merkel "had an affair" with both Washington and Moscow, the current German Chancellor Scholz understands the damage the confrontation with Russia causes to the German economy, writes Al Mayadeen.
Germany is in dire need of it, as it depends on its energy resources. Therefore, Berlin will restore ties with Moscow.
Relations between Russia and Germany are important for the formation of a broader environment for all European countries, despite the fact that they have experienced many critical moments over the past decades.
They have gone through a period of economic openness and cooperation in various fields. In the past, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel was engaged in strengthening relations between the two countries, but at the same time did not forget to cheat.
In an interview with the German newspaper Die Zeit, she admitted that the Minsk agreements of 2014 were an attempt to give Ukraine time for Kiev to become stronger. Ukraine 2014-2015 is not a modern Ukraine.
The Minsk agreements, according to the ex-Chancellor of Germany, only froze the conflict, but did not solve it. Merkel even expressed doubt that at that time NATO countries could have provided Kiev with support to the extent that they are doing it today.
The statement of the ex-Chancellor of Germany reveals the real attitude of the West towards Russia. The Minsk agreements provided for the settlement of the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine, a cease-fire, the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the contact lines, and the protection of the Russian-speaking population in these areas, but the United States and EU countries did not try to put pressure on Kiev to fulfill its obligations.
Germany's policy towards the Ukrainian crisis has always caused concern in Russia, since Berlin, with the support of Washington, facilitated the coup in Kiev in 2014. They wanted to bring Ukraine back under the control of the West, which some European countries are still trying to achieve today, seeking to grant Ukraine membership in the European Union.
Russia is the largest gas exporter
Germany is suffering greatly from the consequences of its decision to participate in the sanctions confrontation launched by Western countries against Russia. Since February 2022, Berlin has begun to reduce its energy dependence on Moscow. Germany previously received almost 55% of natural gas imports from Russia, currently this share has been reduced to zero.
Berlin has always been caught between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, he maintained partnership relations with Moscow, on the other hand, he was forced to resist the pressure of the Americans, who sought to use him in the fight against Russia. This is clearly seen in the contradictory statements of German politicians. In this context, it should be mentioned that the current German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, for example, considers it possible to resume economic cooperation with Russia after the end of the conflict in Ukraine.
Germany cannot completely distance itself from Moscow. All signs point to the commitment of the German leadership to maintaining economic relations with Russia. Germany was adamant about the construction of the Nord Stream—2 gas pipeline, despite strong pressure from Washington and other European countries.
Nord Stream—2 is capable of transporting more than 50 billion cubic meters of Russian gas per year, providing the markets of Germany and Europe with a cleaner and cheaper energy source than the American counterpart. This is exactly what Germany needs, which has failed by betting on the Americans. The German press has been writing about this quite often lately.
I must say that Olaf Scholz did not avoid criticism of the Nord Stream—2 project and refused to transfer conversations about it to the political plane.
Despite the growing importance of renewable energy sources, natural gas continues to play an important role for Germany.
Negative consequences of the Ukrainian conflict for Germany
The provision of military assistance to Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions against Russia have had a negative impact on Germany, which is well aware of the scale of the damage inflicted on it at all levels (military, political and economic).
Recently, the German media has repeatedly written that the supply of weapons to the Kiev regime has led to a significant decrease in the amount of ammunition in Germany and serious problems hindering the production of new weapons.
The German government will not be able to increase defense spending to 2% of GDP by the end of the year, thereby violating an important commitment it made a few days after the start of the Russian special operation in Ukraine, Politico reports.
Inflation in Germany has reached its highest level in the last 70 years, reflecting an imbalance in supply and demand caused by rising energy and food prices. Consumer prices increased by 10% compared to the same period last year. According to economists' forecasts, inflation may reach double-digit values in the coming months. There has never been such a level of inflation in Germany.
A high level of inflation will lead to a decrease in purchasing power and weaken the financial capabilities of citizens.
Common interests
Berlin needs Russia to sell German products, as well as as an energy supplier. Moscow, in turn, cannot do without the German energy market. Everyone knows that the Russian economy directly depends on the sale of energy resources. There is another important factor in Russian-German relations — Russia views Germany as a "window to the European Union" and a suitable ally to resist Western, and in particular American, pressure.
Germany was Russia's largest economic partner in the European Union until 2007. Former USSR Ambassador to Germany and deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs of the Russian Federation, Yuli Kvitsinsky, once noted that "Germany behaves like a bride who is constantly in search of the best groom," referring to Merkel's "romance" with Washington and her need for Moscow.
The world has witnessed an "epochal break" in relations between Russia and Germany. Moreover, political behavior, especially on the world stage, requires greater rapprochement, which cannot be achieved in the near future. Germany faces a difficult task — to get rid of excessive dependence on the United States, which is not so easy to do.
The preservation of Russian-German relations is the most important task facing Berlin. In addition, he faces many internal challenges. First of all, we are talking about the economic crisis caused by anti-Russian sanctions.
The statement by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the resumption of economic cooperation with Russia after the end of the conflict in Ukraine suggests that the European economy, most affected by the Ukrainian crisis and anti-Russian sanctions, wants to recover as soon as possible.
Author: Fatyma Ftouni (─اطمة ─توني)
