German Ambassador Seconds Putin’s Fiery NS2 Remarks: “European Energy Policy Not Determined By Foreigners”
The day after Putin announced the completion of the first leg of the Russia-to-Germany natural gas pipeline Nord Stream 2, declaring that essentially Washington’s best efforts to halt it via an avalanche of sanctions have been defeated, Germany appears to have seconded his assessment.
German Ambassador to Russia Geza Andreas von Geyr on Saturday in his own statements on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum said that US efforts are illegal, going against international law. As cited in Russian media reports, the ambassador said: “At the moment, important negotiations between the American and German governments are ongoing, which include the topic of Nord Stream 2, but our stance on the matter is clear, and it will not change: we are convinced that the energy security of Europe, as well as European energy policy should be determined by Europeans only, and not by foreigners,” he stated confidently.
“As for the sanctions, our position is that such an instrument – extraterritorial sanctions – is not applicable, as it goes against international law“, he explained.
There’s nothing new in this position of Germany seeing in it a question of European sovereignty over its own energy policy. Both Russian and German sides have remain undeterred in completing the pipeline, yet interestingly it’s Washington’s position under Biden which appears to have softened and even reversed.
The Biden White House announced last month that it would waive sanctions for the German company overseeing its side of the 745-mile long pipeline project while at the same timing slapping more punitive measures on Russian vessels under Gazprom. Ostensibly an initiative to heal ties with Germany, it was clearly contradictory, as many observed…
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