Some German industries in the east of the country are already planning for the time when Russian gas returns to Europe encouraged by the efforts of US President Donald Trump to end the war in Ukraine.
Europe has spent three painful years weaning itself off gas from the east with the biggest impact felt in Germany, the region’s biggest economy. German industry was built on cheap Russian gas and rising energy prices have already trammeled growth and forced some manufacturers to move production abroad.
For Christian Günther, head of the one of the biggest chemical industrial sites in Germany, the only way to revive sectors like his is to get hold of cheap Russian gas again. If Europe is expected to help finance Ukraine’s recovery in future, Germany needs to be economically strong to contribute, he said in an interview in Leuna.
If President Donald Trump successfully brokers an end to the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine, gas flows to Europe that were cut could resume. Heads of state will ultimately determine whether the shipments restart, a shift that could be politically unpalatable for some nations.
Possible routes include restoration of transit via Ukraine or the use of an undamaged Nord Stream link under the Baltic Sea, a direct conduit between Russia and Germany.
There is burgeoning political support for the possibility of a return to Russian gas. The economy minister of Saxony-Anhalt, the state where the Leuna chemical park is located, says that a peace deal would change attitudes to energy from Moscow.
“If we can achieve peace and build long-term trust that Europe is not threatened by Russia, we must also be open to discussing the future supply of Russian gas,” said Sven Schulze. “I think it would be wrong to permanently rule out the resumption of gas supplies.”
Schulze holds this view despite being a member of the center-right CDU/CSU party, showing how the economic pressure is weighing even on the party of potential future Chancellor Friedrich Merz who is currently discussing a huge new defense package to support Ukraine.
The stakes are high as Germany’s economy is on a clear path of decline that threatens to become irreversible. Manuela Grieger, former chair of the InfraLeuna worker’s union, the company running the infrastructure of the chemical park, is also supportive of using Russian gas driven by concerns about the future of industry if prices remain high.
Everyone would like cheap free gas, from Russia or not. The point is to have big enough leverage (read army) and alternative sources to not be vulnerable to threats and blackmailing.
I want Russian gas too. Everyone should have it. I just don’t think we should pay for it…
People from DDR are really different. I live here and it shows how one can be such an idiot that after so many years of occupation by the Soviet Union they want this occupation again, or at least a big influence of Russia.
They also want to spy on their neighbours and send them to the Stasi because they don’t like the colour they painted their door, for a bit of torture and jail just like the good old days.
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Some German industries in the east of the country are already planning for the time when Russian gas returns to Europe encouraged by the efforts of US President Donald Trump to end the war in Ukraine.
Europe has spent three painful years weaning itself off gas from the east with the biggest impact felt in Germany, the region’s biggest economy. German industry was built on cheap Russian gas and rising energy prices have already trammeled growth and forced some manufacturers to move production abroad.
For Christian Günther, head of the one of the biggest chemical industrial sites in Germany, the only way to revive sectors like his is to get hold of cheap Russian gas again. If Europe is expected to help finance Ukraine’s recovery in future, Germany needs to be economically strong to contribute, he said in an interview in Leuna.
If President Donald Trump successfully brokers an end to the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine, gas flows to Europe that were cut could resume. Heads of state will ultimately determine whether the shipments restart, a shift that could be politically unpalatable for some nations.
Possible routes include restoration of transit via Ukraine or the use of an undamaged Nord Stream link under the Baltic Sea, a direct conduit between Russia and Germany.
There is burgeoning political support for the possibility of a return to Russian gas. The economy minister of Saxony-Anhalt, the state where the Leuna chemical park is located, says that a peace deal would change attitudes to energy from Moscow.
“If we can achieve peace and build long-term trust that Europe is not threatened by Russia, we must also be open to discussing the future supply of Russian gas,” said Sven Schulze. “I think it would be wrong to permanently rule out the resumption of gas supplies.”
Schulze holds this view despite being a member of the center-right CDU/CSU party, showing how the economic pressure is weighing even on the party of potential future Chancellor Friedrich Merz who is currently discussing a huge new defense package to support Ukraine.
The stakes are high as Germany’s economy is on a clear path of decline that threatens to become irreversible. Manuela Grieger, former chair of the InfraLeuna worker’s union, the company running the infrastructure of the chemical park, is also supportive of using Russian gas driven by concerns about the future of industry if prices remain high.
Everyone would like cheap free gas, from Russia or not. The point is to have big enough leverage (read army) and alternative sources to not be vulnerable to threats and blackmailing.
I want Russian gas too. Everyone should have it. I just don’t think we should pay for it…
People from DDR are really different. I live here and it shows how one can be such an idiot that after so many years of occupation by the Soviet Union they want this occupation again, or at least a big influence of Russia.
They also want to spy on their neighbours and send them to the Stasi because they don’t like the colour they painted their door, for a bit of torture and jail just like the good old days.
https://preview.redd.it/s9hxbb4eoyle1.png?width=1358&format=png&auto=webp&s=098c821bad6f2a89e95d6df1c8e118ce83412df1
Eastern Germany has been compromised just like the American south.
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