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How so? Germany completely got rid of Russian dependence in the energy sector. It’s France that is blocking sanctions on Russian nuclear industry.
by legulere 3y ago
How so? Germany completely got rid of Russian dependence in the energy sector. It’s France that is blocking sanctions on Russian nuclear industry.
- bboygravity 3y agoThat's very recent isn't it? Even in the early days of Putin's war Germany was still sponsoring Putin by buying many 100's of millions of EUR of gas from him. They "got rid of Russian dependence in the energy sector" by reopening old German coal mines, firing up coal power plants and shifting gas imports from Russia to the US + importing tons of nuclear energy from France. Germany only stopped buying Russian gas for > 50% of their energy needs AFTER a war started AFTER the pipelines to Russia got bombed and AFTER they had no other choice.
- bumby 3y agoRussia was the second largest provider of uranium to the EU.
- g42gregory 3y agoDidn’t Germany shut down nuclear energy plants too? This problem seems to be entirely of their own making. Why would they do this?
- bumby 3y agoYes, the plan was set in motion many years earlier. But the reliance Russian energy (whether fossil or uranium fuel) would have been there in either case. Energy exports are a big lever for Russia in foreign affairs.
- g42gregory 3y agoBut the Russians didn’t use the energy leverage so far, did they? Germany seemingly decided to do the damage to themselves on their own. Wouldn’t it be better to take time and find alternative sources of energy first? This is what I don’t understand.
- bumby 3y agoI think the idea is that Russia fosters interdependence on their natural resources as a way to limit retaliation for territorial expansion. It worked with Georgia and Crimea, but they may have miscalculated with Ukraine.