Michael Kretschmer, the premier of Saxony, has called for Germany to consider a “positive approach” towards Russia, including the restoration of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, arguing that pressuring Moscow has been ineffective.
In an interview with Die Zeit on Sunday, Kretschmer, who is also a deputy head of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), stated that the current adversarial policy has been unproductive and detrimental to Germany’s economy.
Kretschmer suggested that “Nord Stream is a possible opening for a conversation with Russia,” asserting that such discussions would be mutually beneficial, as the German economy requires at least one-fifth of its gas supplies from Russia to function properly.
He also highlighted the relocation of companies due to high production costs and energy prices, warning that if the economic situation does not improve, Germany, rather than Russia, will have to “change [its] course in one or two years.”
Kretschmer’s position stands in stark contrast to that of Friedrich Merz, his party leader and federal chancellor, who recently supported an EU plan to prohibit the use of the Nord Stream gas pipelines and prevent the resumption of energy trade with Russia as part of a new sanctions initiative.
The Saxony leader views this approach as counterproductive, arguing, “As long as we say that we don’t want anything, we don’t want gas supplies, we only impose sanctions, no one will talk to us.”
The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipeline systems, constructed under the Baltic Sea, were designed to directly deliver Russian natural gas to Germany. Each system, comprised of two pipelines, had a capacity of up to 55 billion cubic meters of gas annually. Three of the four pipelines were destroyed by underwater explosions in September 2022, an act of sabotage that Russia attributes to Western intelligence agencies.
European gas prices rose sharply following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, as pipeline gas imports from Russia largely ceased due to sanctions and the Nord Stream sabotage. According to the European Council, Russian pipeline gas accounted for 32% of the total demand of the EU and UK in 2021, while Germany relied on Russia for 55% of its consumption.
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