Merkel has ‘absolutely no regrets’ over her energy policy towards Russia

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday she had no regrets about the energy policy she pursued during her 16-year rule and made Russia one of its most important gas suppliers, AFP, Reuters and Agerpres.

Angela MerkelPhoto: Thomas Frey/AFP/Profimedia

“From the perspective of the era, it was more rational and understandable to supply grid gas, including Russia, cheaper than LNG (liquefied natural gas) from other parts of the world,” he told a press conference in Lisbon.

“You always act when you’re there,” he told reporters when asked about his government’s rapprochement with Russia.

“Even during the Cold War, Russia was a reliable energy supplier,” said Merkel, who visited the Portuguese capital as head of the jury for an award dedicated to adapting to climate change.

“I absolutely do not regret the decisions taken,” he insisted, adding that he had not “changed his mind” about giving up nuclear power.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, the former center-right German head of government has been accused of increasing Europe’s dependence on Russian energy, notably by promoting the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline despite the reservations of his European and American partners.

Angela Merkel: “This brutal attack by Russia has brought about a change. And, of course, the new German government has to deal with it and it does.”

His successor, Olaf Scholz, said for his part that Germany was “overly and unilaterally dependent on energy supplies from Russia”.

However, Angela Merkel admitted that the war in Ukraine had changed the situation. “This brutal attack by Russia brought about a change (…). And, of course, the new government has to deal with it, and it does,” he said, referring to the government led by social democrat Olaf Scholes.

See also  Putin: Main goal of Ukrainian grain deal not achieved

Germany and other European countries are trying to end their dependence on Russian oil and gas after sending troops to Ukraine as part of what Putin calls a “special military operation.”

Last year, 55 percent of Germany’s gas imports came from Russia, a result of Merkel’s continued trade ties with Russia and support for the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline, even after Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014.

Authorization for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, designed to double gas imports from Russia via the Baltic Sea to Germany, was suspended by Berlin in the days before the invasion.

Merkel was speaking on the sidelines of an event to announce the winner of the Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity, where she chaired the jury.

___

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *