- Per Reuters, the ex-German Chancellor said that she had no regrets over her government’s energy policy.
- Angela Merkel stated it was the right choice to continue Russian natural gas imports during her tenure.
- Germany is currently trying to replace Russian gas supplies, as the flow of gas has slowed in the wake of the Ukraine war.
After being criticised for her Russia policy, Angela Merkel, former German Chancellor, defended her government’s decision to purchase large quantities of Russian natural gas.
Merkel said to reporters in Lisbon that “you always act in the moment in which you find yourself,” according to Reuters.“In this sense, I don’t regret decisions at all. I believe it was the right decision from the perspective of time.”
She also stated that it was “very rational” and understandable at the time to get pipeline gas from Russia. It was more affordable than LNG from other countries. Associated Press.Merkel was referring liquefied petroleum gas, which is supercooled natural gas that can also be transported by ships.
Germany — Europe’s largest economy — is reliant on piped natural gas from Russia, which accounts for 35% of its fuel imports are from the country. The industrial powerhouse imports almost all of the natural gas it uses, which accounts for about a quarter of the country’s total energy mix, according to the Economy ministry.
Germany has been left vulnerable to supply shocks by Russia. Berlin is in chaosRussian natural-gas supplies will be replaced after the state gas giant GazpromNord Stream 1 reduces gas flows, a key pipeline.
These developments are covering up Merkel’s legacy. Merkel was elected to the presidency in December 2021, after 16 years of rule. Recently, she was placed under Criticism and scrutiny are a constant part of the process from political rivals, the press, and her peers for her Russia policyDuring Moscow’s invasion in Ukraine.
Germany’s Russian Gas PolicyThe relationship spanned decades and began during the Cold War of the 1960s when the Pipelinepolitik policy connected both sides via a pipeline. Henning Gloystein, director of energy, climate and resources at Eurasia Group in April, stated that the move was meant to encourage the Soviet Union toward dialogue and trade with Western countries, rather than conflict.
And Russia had always — up until now — been a reliable gas supplier, even during the Cold War and throughout the collapse of the Soviet Union, Davide Oneglia, a senior economist at London-based consultancy TS Lombard, previously told Insider.
However, she admitted that Russia’s invasion and occupation of Ukraine have changed the dynamic of Germany’s relations with Moscow.
Merkel, according to the AP, stated on Thursday that Russia’s brutal attack had brought about a shift.
