Struggling to find a common point of view
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democratic Party (SPD) has a conflict with the Greens over the future of Nord Stream 2 - a pipeline that critics say will significantly increase Europe's dependence on Russian natural gas - with the centre-left Social Democratic Party supporting and the Greens opposing.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock of the Green Party, who was on his first official trip as foreign minister to Ukraine on January 17 and Russia on January 18, pointed out that Nord Stream 2 could not continue if Russia took military action in Ukraine.
The Social Democratic Party, which traditionally supports Moscow, stressed the importance of Russian gas to German industry. Social Democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholz has refused to publicly announce sanctions against the project.
Stefan Meister, an Eastern European expert at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), said the division is weakening Germany and the EU. We are seeing a lack of unity in the German government and are still looking for a policy on Russia, the Financial Times quoted Meister as saying.
The division was once again highlighted this week as two senior SPD politicians have sought to away Nord Stream 2 from the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said the pipeline "should not be dragged into this conflict". And Kevin Kühnert, SPD's general secretary, said international disputes are being used deliberately to bury projects that are always a thorn for some - a clear reference to the Green Party.
Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Baerbock has repeatedly mentioned an agreement between the US and Germany in July last year that would see Berlin impose energy sanctions on Moscow if Russia tries to use energy as a weapon or takes further action against Ukraine.
Some say Moscow is weaponizing its gas exports. Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), said last week that Russia is cutting off gas supplies to Europe at a time of "increased geopolitical tensions". He said Russia is holding back at least a third of its gas could go to Europe, draining up the storage facilities it controls on the continent to make an impression of scarce supply.
Russia has repeatedly denied any manipulation of supply. Russian central television station quoted Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak as saying on January 15: Neither Russia nor our main example, Gazprom, have anything to do with this. Russia has delivered significantly more gas to customers such as Germany and Turkey, which have expired their contracts."
Deputy Prime Minister Novak blamed the aim policy of the European Union and the European Commission for years of deliberately not signing long-term contracts and shifting their energy sector towards reducing dependence on Russia.
Ukrainian factors
The Russia-Ukraine tensions are the first major crisis that new German Chancellor Olaf Scholz faces in his new position. In public statements, he was extremely cautious, emphasizing the need to resolve the conflict peacefully and warning against any efforts to change Europe's borders by force. But he also steadfastly resisted pressure from some in the administration of US President Joe Biden to declare that Nord Stream 2 - awaiting approval from German regulators and the European Commission - would be stopped if Russia sent troops into Ukraine.
At least in public, Mr. Scholz has been cautious and avoided threatening to impose sanctions against Nord Stream 2, repeatedly emphasizing that it is a "private initiative" and has nothing to do with the Ukrainian crisis.
This marks a subtle but important change from the path that former Chancellor Angela Merkel adopted in 2018. Merkel said the Nord Stream 2 was not just an economic project and political factors had to be considered especially the need to maintain Ukraines status as a transit country for Russian gas.
However, not all members of the Social Democratic Party agree with Chancellor Scholz's cautious approach. Michael Roth, a former deputy foreign minister who is now head of the Bundestag's influential foreign affairs committee, said Berlin should send a clear signal to Moscow that it would refuse to approve Nord Stream 2 in the event of a conflict in Ukraine.
