By Vladyslav Los
As NATO is bracing for the potential next round of escalation of the war conflict in the east of Ukraine, countries heavily reliant on Russian fossil fuels, like Germany, constantly seem to fail in prioritizing the integrity of NATO and the security of its allies first. If the Western democracies are to remain strong and independent, they have to realize that the danger posed by the collaborationists within is by no means smaller than that from the external opponents of the liberal order.
On April 11, 2005, former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder and Russian President Vladimir Putin were present at the signing of the construction plans of the first Nord Stream gas pipeline. Half a year later the former was offered a consultant position at the Nord Stream AG after losing the federal elections. Simultaneously, the “Ukrainian-Russian gas wars” began, resulting in a horrible gas deal for Ukraine and disillusionment in the pipeline project among the Eastern European countries.
It was less than two years later that president Putin held his infamous speech at the Munich Security Conference which marked the beginning of rising tensions between Russia and NATO and a huge setback in international relations and world peace. Since then, Russia has invaded Georgia, supported the Assad regime in Syria, annexed Ukrainian Crimea, sent active military formations to the eastern territories of Ukraine, and has concentrated its troops and weapon systems on the Ukrainian and Belarussian borders, as well as increasing its activity in the Baltic and Black seas. The powerful anti-Ukrainian narrative in the Russian mainstream media, as well as the constant anti-American and anti-European sentiment, can be traced back to at least the early 2010s.
Meanwhile, Germany stopped mining hard coal, will shut off its last nuclear power plants this year, and plans to stop using lignite by 2038. This leaves the energy sector of the world’s fourth-largest economy highly dependent on Russian natural gas which now makes up more than half of all of the country’s gas imports. The result is expectable: the German government constantly downplaying the threat from the east and failing to act on its loud, yet so far mostly hollow, promises to uphold the rule of law and human rights. Here are several examples.
This leaves the energy sector of the world’s fourth-largest economy highly dependent on Russian natural gas which now makes up more than half of all of the country’s gas imports.
Firstly, after the unlawful annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014, economic sanctions were introduced by the EU and Germany. Yet, in the first half of 2018 alone, according to Gazprom gas imports volume from Russia rose by 12,2%, and, in the last 5 years, the Russian share went from a third to more than half of all gas imported by Germany. In this time, Nord Stream 2 pipeline was planned and constructed, under strong criticism from the NATO allies and Ukraine, and against European law (according to which, the gas seller company isn’t permitted to operate the transit).
Secondly, Germany for years declined Ukraine any kind of military aid. This was justified as an attempt to de-escalate the conflict in the east of Ukraine, where separatists supported by Russian military deliveries and active formations of the Russian army tried to establish two semi-independent proxy states. According to the UN, the war took the lives of more than 4 thousand Ukrainian soldiers and 3 thousand civilians. Germany, one of the biggest weaponry exporters in the world, is often selling armaments to countries with questionable standards of human rights protection, for which reasonable exceptions are being made for strategic reasons.
Ukraine, on the other hand, developed democracy and is engaged in a defensive war with the biggest strategic opponent of NATO. Nonetheless, it was denied not only German weapons but also several types of military aid from the alliance (through a veto of Angela Merkel-led government). Additionally, German officials have shown skepticism to the idea of Ukraine potentially joining NATO, emphasizing that a country in an active war conflict cannot join the alliance. All the while forgetting that when the Federal Republic of Germany entered the organization, it hadn’t yet normalized the relations with the Soviet Union and had territorial claims to Poland, GDR, and USSR.
With a huge Russian military build-up on the EU’s and Ukraine’s eastern borders and a serious threat of the next round of escalation of the Ukrainian-Russian war, the numerous headlines around the German government are nothing less than terrifying:“UK Planes Took a Detour Around Germany to Deliver Weapons to Ukraine in Case Russia Invades” (Business Insider), “Germany Blocks NATO Ally From Transferring Weapons to Ukraine” (Wall Street Journal), “Scholz Has No Time for Biden” (SPIEGEL), etc.
While many claims have already been disputed by the German officials, it is clear that in the once united democratic front, Germany, which has before been called out by the former U.S. President Donald Trump for not complying with NATO’s 2%-standard, is a weak link.
While many claims have already been disputed by the German officials, it is clear that in the once united democratic front, Germany, which has before been called out by the former U.S. President Donald Trump for not complying with NATO’s 2%-standard, is a weak link. The Royal Air Force is, together with the U.S. Air Force, in a steady flow supplying Ukraine with defensive weapon systems, among others the anti-tank and air defense armaments. Germany, on the other hand, seems to simply have no plan at all for how to answer the current crisis. It is being torn between its long-time democratic allies and its authoritarian gas supplier. Regardless of what the outcome is going to be, the damage has been done to the German reputation among the allies and to the unity of the free world.
Germany, on the other hand, seems to simply have no plan at all for how to answer the current crisis. It is being torn between its long-time democratic allies and its authoritarian gas supplier.
A video has been published on the internet, in which the now former Chief of German Navy (who resigned almost immediately after the backlash from the international community) emphasizes the importance of Russia as an ally in the stand-off against China. Although this claim has its logical grounds and surely raises an important point, if the West surrenders the ideals it was founded on in the present conflicts in order to win in the future ones, it better not win at all.
For Europe, it is a hard time, when nothing less but European security and sovereignty is at stake. It is, in my view, also high time to unite around the basic principles of freedom and democracy, and show that those threatening are inevitably doomed to fail and those willing to fight for independence and those exact principles will be welcomed as friends and allies. For Germany, it is time to find its way back to the allies.
For Europe, it is a hard time, when nothing less but European security and sovereignty is at stake.
Vladyslav Los Vladyslav Los is the president of BridgeEurope Online Chapter since April 2021. His work is mainly concentrated on digital formats for BridgeEurope and includes the re-launch of the BridgeEurope podcast and blog. Vlad's political interests lie in promoting civility and solution-based discourse, drawing attention to importance of political and general education.
Unlike many of the members, whose background is in political science, Vlad is a third year Bachelor student in Physics, showing how the BridgeEurope debate naturally extends beyond the realm of politics students.
BridgeEurope Blog serves as a platform for reflection and discussion on current topics. The opinions expressed in the blog represent the view of the authors solely and not the view of BridgeEurope.