Media report: Merkel “Considered Gass storage sale to Gazprom”-despite inner warnings | EUROtoday

A present media report as soon as once more analyzes the vitality coverage of the Merkel period: Despite inner warnings and the earlier crime-annexation by Russia, former Chancellor has not opposed the sale of German fuel storage to the Russian state firm Gazprom. This emerges from inner paperwork from the Chancellery, the approval of which the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” has legally disputed.

Before the beginning of the Russian struggle of assault in Ukraine, the filling ranges of the reminiscence in autumn and winter 2021/2022 had dropped drastically. This additionally gave Germany right into a deep vitality disaster as a result of lack of fuel deliveries from Russia. According to the newspaper, the paperwork present that Angela Merkel (CDU) campaigned for the mission within the background, which has turn out to be an emblem of 1, because the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” (SZ), “naive German Russian policy”.

And that is how the sheet describes the method: On September 2, 2015, Merkel was knowledgeable in writing {that a} so-called asset change ought to happen in the midst of a participation of BASF/Wintershall within the deliberate Nord Stream 2 fuel pipeline. Gazprom ought to subsequently obtain a participation within the fuel commerce in Germany and the BASF subsidiary Wintershall one in fuel fields in West Siberia.

Minister of Economic Affairs Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) didn’t specific any “energy policy concerns”

According to “SZ”, the paperwork proceed to say that Minister of Economics Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) had introduced that there have been “no energy policy concerns” towards the change. The Chancellery emphasised that there was no authorized dealing with to ban the enterprise, though the Chancellery clearly noticed the hazards: With the takeover, Gazprom turned a direct provider of municipal utilities, regional fuel suppliers, corporations and energy vegetation in Germany. “By controlling important gas storage (filling, functionality), Gazprom is immediately responsible for the security of care of the customers.” The phrase “security of supply” was even greased within the template for Merkel.

The Chancellery additionally caught the appropriate arguments to counter the anticipated protest from Poland, Ukraine and the Baltic States. The gas-storing transaction doesn’t violate the Russia sanctions, and the Foreign Industry Act doesn’t provide a deal with to stop the deal so long as it was dealt with by the German Gazprom daughter.

But within the context of the “current UKR crisis” (which implies the annexation of the Crimea and the destabilization of japanese Ukraine by Russia), the reactions are more likely to be sharply in Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic States, in keeping with a observe from the Chancellery. The proposed answer for Merkel: “We should therefore communicate the background (lack of legal handling, an entrepreneurial decision) accordingly.” Merkel marked this advice with inexperienced ink on the sting of the doc.

“Behind the scenes”, the federal authorities supported the mission

Overall, the Chancellery of the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” has given 63 paperwork in keeping with its specification. The SZ had utilized for the publication of the paperwork in 2024 and relyed on the Freedom of Information Act. The Chancellery initially refused, however steered after the newspaper had contradicted.

In a Merkel report on July 16, 2015, it turns into clear how a lot the Federal Government supported the mission of the Baltic Seepeline Nord Stream 2 behind the scenes, however publicly represented it as a non-public sector, to which a impartial place was taken. “The current attempt by Gazprom for a 3rd/4th North Stream strand is to be welcomed from a DeU and European perspective,” the template mentioned. The danger of dependency is performed down.

The quantity of Russian fuel in Western Europe would improve, however the proportion of Russian fuel would improve much less, particularly on account of rising demand for warmth era. According to the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, civil servants nearly pity with Gazprom as a result of the fuel enterprise weakens. The answer: Nord Stream 2, with the tubes 3 and 4.

And additionally the hazard to Ukraine is performed down to profit much less from the gastransite or to get much less fuel general. Additional portions which have a third/4th Strang would get to Germany, you would transport a “reverse flow” into Ukraine through a “reverse flow” in order that it additionally gave a few of it. “ENGING EVERYONE cannot afford to take a position against Nord Stream 3/4,” it mentioned on the time within the Chancellery.