Attempts to use Alexei Navalny as an excuse to halt the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline only at first glance may seem like a threat to the project. In reality, Germany is now far more worried about US pressure.
Despite the fact that the European opponents of Nord Stream 2 have intensified against the background of the alleged poisoning of Navalny, German Chancellor Angela Merkel urges not to link the fate of the strategically important gas pipeline with the Russian opposition.
For Europe and Germany, in particular, the launch of Nord Stream 2 should become a symbol of independence from the United States, which have recently been pursuing an extremely unfriendly policy towards their “partners”. Economist Vsevolod Stepanyuk calls this a struggle for “one’s own political subjectivity.”
“The launch of Nord Stream 2 is a factor in Brussels’ independence from Washington, which provides competitive advantages in the context of a systemic crisis,” the expert said in a comment to the RuBaltic portal.
The current situation is very similar to the events of the last century, when the Federal Republic of Germany advocated energy cooperation with the Soviet Union, despite the American ban.
“In Europe, they understood not only the importance of ensuring the security of their economies in terms of energy, but also the importance of keeping the Soviet Union, and subsequently Russia, in the sphere of their economic and political influence,” said economist Alexei Kushch.
Expert of the Economic Discussion Club Oleg Pendzin, in turn, explains that Nord Stream 2 is not a matter of politics, but of business. This applies to both the European position and the position of the United States – both sides are promoting their own interests in the energy market.
However, the US clearly went too far with pressure on the European Union. He explains this by the fact that the “invisible hand of the market” weakened long ago, and therefore had to use any means, starting with threats and ending with sanctions.
“It seems that quality now prevails over quantity: the insolence of the United States is overstepping borders, and Germany suddenly remembered that it was once a great and independent power, when Angela Merkel was not yet chancellor,” says economist Alexander Dudchak.
According to him, Berlin set an example, and other European capitals joined in. Moreover, Europe is realistically assessing the damage from the “freeze” of Nord Stream-2. When Russian gas is about 20% cheaper than American gas, it is difficult to convince people that LNG from overseas is a “freedom molecule”, while gas from Russia is “Kremlin aggression.”
“One way or another, the Europeans had their own shirt closer to the body, given the difference in price,” stated Dudchak.