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It’s about Russian natural gas, not oil. About 25% of Germany’s primary energy are produced from gas, of which about 40% come from Russia (down from about 50%

It’s about Russian natural gas, not oil. About 25% of Germany’s primary energy are produced from gas, of which about 40% come from Russia (down from about 50% in 1995).[1] The US sanctions against the Nord Stream project are seen by a number of Germans as a rather clumsy attempt to push the sale of their expensive liquified natural gas, which to a high degree is produced by hydraulic fracking.[2] 1) https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?tl=en&u=https://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article179177142/Trump-im-Faktencheck-Wie-abhaengig-ist-Deutschland-wirklich-von-russischem-Gas.html https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?tl=en&u=... 2) https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?tl=en&u=https://m.tagesspiegel.de/wirtschaft/tanker-anladestellen-fuer-den-import-von-gas-streit-um-den-bau-von-fluessiggas-terminals-in-deutschland/25361240.html https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?tl=en&u=...

mattrp 7y ago
Talk about clumsy, I seem to remember Russia turning off the gas back in the 90s and everyone was surprised at just how easily nato’s entire infrastructure could be held ransom by the flick of a switch. The issue basically boils down to the survivability of US/NATO operations. And the Germans ambivalence - what with Gerard Schroeder essentially doing a crony deal for nordstream directly underscores that Germans know what we really care about is military survivability. Pretty much every foreign policy decision the US has made since the gas debacle has been to find alternatives to Russian oil. Admitting Georgia to NATO, supporting Ukraine, heck even Iraq and afghanistan have undertones of finding gas alternatives for Germany. The realist in me agrees, it kind of stinks that America seems a bit selfish. But I might remind you that Germany didn’t really like it when the gas did get shut off. I seem to recall their response was, hey America, do something! In the end, Most of what we have done hasn’t worked and then you have Germans themselves supporting nordstream which essentially undermines the entire strategy altogether. I wouldn’t be surprised if the US cedes Germany and leaves in the next decade. Now... what’s going to hurt the dollar more? A few sanctions now or departure from the European continent altogether? Ps also consider the source - the economist - they’ve never met a sanction or a trade barrier they could like so keep that in mind....
- labawi 7y ago
  Wasn't Iraq invaded shortly after switching oil pricing to EUR? That was for Germany's benefit?
- bakuninsbart 7y ago
  > Ps also consider the source - the economist - they’ve never met a sanction or a trade barrier they could like so keep that in mind.... They were in favor of sanctions against lots of countries, usually because of human rights abuses. I currently can't access their archives, but I am quite sure they were calling for sanctions on Germany as early as 1933.

mattrp 7y ago

Talk about clumsy, I seem to remember Russia turning off the gas back in the 90s and everyone was surprised at just how easily nato’s entire infrastructure could be held ransom by the flick of a switch. The issue basically boils down to the survivability of US/NATO operations. And the Germans ambivalence - what with Gerard Schroeder essentially doing a crony deal for nordstream directly underscores that Germans know what we really care about is military survivability. Pretty much every foreign policy decision the US has made since the gas debacle has been to find alternatives to Russian oil. Admitting Georgia to NATO, supporting Ukraine, heck even Iraq and afghanistan have undertones of finding gas alternatives for Germany. The realist in me agrees, it kind of stinks that America seems a bit selfish. But I might remind you that Germany didn’t really like it when the gas did get shut off. I seem to recall their response was, hey America, do something! In the end, Most of what we have done hasn’t worked and then you have Germans themselves supporting nordstream which essentially undermines the entire strategy altogether. I wouldn’t be surprised if the US cedes Germany and leaves in the next decade. Now... what’s going to hurt the dollar more? A few sanctions now or departure from the European continent altogether? Ps also consider the source - the economist - they’ve never met a sanction or a trade barrier they could like so keep that in mind....

labawi 7y ago
Wasn't Iraq invaded shortly after switching oil pricing to EUR? That was for Germany's benefit?
bakuninsbart 7y ago
> Ps also consider the source - the economist - they’ve never met a sanction or a trade barrier they could like so keep that in mind.... They were in favor of sanctions against lots of countries, usually because of human rights abuses. I currently can't access their archives, but I am quite sure they were calling for sanctions on Germany as early as 1933.