Putin's pipeline: stop Nord Stream 2!

Nord Stream 2 is just before the finish. Nevertheless, the federal government must finally stop Putin's prestige pipeline – even if it will be expensive.

At the latest after the Kremlin first poisoned Alexei Navalny and then imprisoned him, after Russian police officers and special forces beat down or arrest peaceful demonstrators, Germany must finally give a clear, the only possible answer. And that is: cancel the construction of Nord Stream 2.

Vladimir Putin's prestige pipeline should never have been laid. Now the federal government has the very last chance to stop the project after all and at least to save face in the process.

Because the pipeline was never a purely economic project, as its proponents claim. It's absolutely political. Putin wants to destabilize Europe – and Nord Stream 2 is one means of doing that. With the pipeline, the Kremlin is increasing its influence on Germany, driving a wedge into the European Union and causing massive damage to the gas transit country Ukraine.

Admittedly, finishing the expensive project so close to the finish line will cost a lot of money. Especially since it will not be easy legally to enforce a construction freeze. After all, it is private companies that build and operate the billion-dollar project, not the federal government. German companies are also involved, but Nord Stream is an international project with investors from several European countries.

Emergency brake inevitable

That must not prevent the federal government from at least trying. It has to get the EU on board and avoid the mistake that made the construction possible in the first place: acting on its own. The federal government will have no choice but to compensate construction companies and investors – it will probably cost billions.

But it's worth it. Germany must stand up to Putin and his aggressive autocracy. It's not about freezing relations with Russia. It's about not buying more gas from there.

Germany doesn't need the pipeline. The existing infrastructure is completely sufficient for the current and future gas demand – which will decrease in the coming years due to the energy transition. Without Nord Stream 2, Russian gas will flow on the existing routes to Germany and Europe.

For political reasons the project has to be stopped. Germany is not economically dependent on Nord Stream 2. Above all, Putin will benefit from the pipeline. The federal government must take the last opportunity to correct a serious mistake.

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