One of Germany's leading experts on international energy policy, a researcher at the Stiftung für Wissenschaft und Politik analytical center, Kirsten Westphal, speaking at the panel discussion on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in Berlin, told about her vision of this gas project, which causes a lot of criticism and fears in Europe.
"First, it is a project in which our political and economic interests coincide with the Russian side. Second, it is a project that will allow us to use more efficiently and develop existing pipeline systems in the EU. Third, this project raises doubts about the EU's efforts in Ukraine. It's obviously difficult to carry out energy projects through Ukraine. And fourth, this project does not pose a threat to the EU, let alone the United States," Westphal explained the general situation. Speaking about the Nord Stream 2, its pros and cons for Germany and the European Union, she noted that it is a very complex issue that requires a differentiated analysis.
"This project is moving forward and there is a certain motivation for that. You are talking about what might be risky for the business community. But is it really so bad when companies assess risks, look at prices, logistics, and eventually come to the conclusion that a few other alternatives are better than Russia," Westphal commented on the arguments of the critics of the Nord Stream 2 project.
At the same time, the expert noted that energy is both a commercial commodity and a strategic tool and resource of foreign policy. Westphal, however, recalled that along with Russia, other traditional energy producers also use them as a foreign policy resource: "We see it both in the United States and in foreign policy. Germany was also guided by it in politics to stabilize relations and used Energy as a stabilizing factor. I would say that it worked very well in the past".
According to Kirsten Westphal, it is logical that Russia wants to expand the pipeline, which directly connects it with the largest buyer of Russian gas - Germany. "From the German state's point of view, the Nord Stream 2 project has an economic meaning, this is business and Germany admits it. But for the German government it has a high political value," the expert believes, meaning serious opposition to this project from the Eastern and Central Europe.
"We have to admit that there are good arguments in favor of Nord Stream 2 in economic terms, and besides, these are revenues for Germany, this is necessary for the European gas market. In terms of creating a new infrastructure for import, the project makes sense. Moreover, Nord Stream 2 also has a very important influence on the integration of the European energy market, connecting Germany with the East and making the Ukrainian route less important. I agree that the project will affect Ukraine and transit flows through this state. The Ukrainian issue makes the whole story much more difficult. It is one of the reasons why the project is not that easy. We need to resolve this issue," the expert believes.
Westphal does not see the Nord Stream 2 project as a threat to the security of the EU in terms of gas supplies. "I agree that there was a challenge to the security of supplies from Russia. I remember the problems with supplies to Europe in the winter of 2014-2015, which was connected with Russia, as the supplies declined. And we see that the market was subsequently balanced. This behavior was rather provoked by economic reasons. We should be ready for the problems in the energy market. But here we are talking about political trust here, and there should not be a question of security," the political scientist noted.
Westphal has criticized the new package of US sanctions against Russia, which risk hurting the energy interests of the European Union. "I think that the new sanctions are a challenge for the EU from the US in terms of energy security, because they affect future contracts with Russia. And this new developing Transatlantic project is less competitive and less secure in terms of energy security. There is, this is the main challenge," Westphal emphasized.
SWP expert believes that Germany should enjoy the advantages of natural gas, which it receives at the moment. "But, in my opinion, the pipeline can become part of the policy of deterrence and cooperation, a strategic tool. It is necessary to forget about the cold war and maintain peace. It is also important for me to maintain economic relations in order not to let them deteriorate. I mean it is very important to keep the doors open. And it is very important for European integration as well. I think that Germany needs to look for a compromise, cooperate with many countries and also with Russia to find a way out and think about the future," Kirsten Westphal concluded.
