In order to increase the chance of more Russian gas, FDP Vice Kubicki wants to put Nord Stream 2 into operation. In doing so, he has met with clear criticism from within his own ranks. The Ukrainian foreign minister draws a comparison to drug addicts.
The initiative by FDP Vice Wolfgang Kubicki to put the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline into operation has met with cross-party criticism. The foreign policy spokesman for the SPD, Nils Schmid, told T-Online: “Once again, Mr. Kubicki is taking over the Russian propaganda and making himself Putin’s henchman.” The problem is not that Nord Stream 2 is not operational, but that Putin lacks the political will to deliver more gas. “We shouldn’t also support this attempt at political blackmail,” Schmid continued to criticize Kubicki’s initiative.
Green defense politician Sara Nanni took a similar line. With a view to Russia’s politics, such a proposal strengthens false narratives. The shortage of gas has nothing to do with Nord Stream 2, but “is a political decision by Russia,” emphasized Nanni. She reminded that the “unilateral depoliticization” of Nord Stream 2 during the construction of the controversial pipeline “presented us with the big problems that the federal government now has to solve in a hurry”.
Criticism of Kubicki also came from within his own ranks. FDP faction leader Christian Dürr clearly rejected the opening demands. “In the past few weeks, we’ve been intensively discussing how to avert the impending energy crisis in winter. As the FDP parliamentary group, we’ve made a number of suggestions. The commissioning of Nord Stream 2 isn’t one of them,” said Dürr. The opening of the pipeline from Russia to Western Pomerania “would send the wrong signal to our European partners”. On the other hand, it would be right to extend the service life of the three remaining nuclear power plants as a first step, Dürr demanded. “That would significantly ease the situation on the energy market and would also be an important sign of solidarity with our European neighbors,” he said. FDP Finance Minister Christian Lindner also clearly distanced himself from Kubicki’s demands. Lindner thinks the proposal is “wrong and absurd,” said a spokeswoman.
FDP foreign politician Alexander Graf Lambsdorff pointed out on Twitter that Russia could also deliver gas through other pipelines such as Nord Stream 1 or Yamal. But if Nord Stream 2 were to go online, Germany would “single-handedly destroy the political consensus in NATO and the EU,” which would be a “debacle.” FDP parliamentary group leader Gyde Jensen also distanced himself from Kubicki. “If there is war in Europe, we have to stand together,” she said on Twitter. Nord Stream 2 had “always been a solo effort” with which Germany “offended our Eastern European neighbors”.
In addition to the domestic political criticism, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also chose clear words. “The calls from some German politicians to open Nord Stream 2 for a while and to close it again later are completely irrational. It’s similar to the words of a drug addict saying: ‘Just one last time!’, without the devastating Consequences of ‘one last time’ to consider. Dependence on Russian gas is deadly!”
Among other things, Kubicki had demanded in the newspapers of the editorial network Germany that Nord Stream 2 be put into operation. “We should open Nord Stream 2 as soon as possible to fill our gas storage for the winter,” he demanded. Kubicki argued that it was “not more immoral” to obtain Russian gas in this way than previously through the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
Praise for Kubicki came from AfD European politician Maximilian Krah. On Twitter, he welcomes the fact that Kubicki is taking over “our foreign policy position”. “Start Nord Stream 2!”, AfD boss Tino Chrupalla also demanded. After Russia invaded Ukraine, the German government decided not to put Nord Stream 2 into operation.
