Germany, Poland, and energy policy: a polemic on Russia’s influence

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Deputy Prime Minister Mariusz Błaszczak argued that German policy has contributed to strengthening the Russian military. Those remarks likely rankled the German ambassador to Poland, who questioned the funds allegedly transferred to Russia in exchange for energy imports.

Germany’s stance toward Russia

There is little doubt that the policy chosen by Germany some would say allowed Putin to access resources that fueled his armed forces. Nord Stream serves as a pointed example. Even when labeled russophobes, there was a sense of compliance with certain strategic choices.

Mariusz Błaszczak, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense, made these observations during the Gość Wiadomości program.

READ ALSO: Deputy Prime Minister Błaszczak: There is no doubt that it was Germany’s policy that got Putin money for his army

Diplomatic exchange from Berlin

It appears the German ambassador to Poland did not share the minister’s view. Thomas Bagger questioned whether Poland annually transfers billions of zlotys to Moscow in return for Russian energy, raising a pointed accusation on Twitter.

In response, Deputy Minister Janusz Kowalski noted that Germany was the force behind the Nord Stream project, which supplied energy to Ukraine and beyond. Poland pursued independence from Russian hydrocarbons by expanding LNG capacity and the Baltic Pipe, while criticising the Nord Stream initiative that was associated with German policy from the era of leaders like Gerhard Schröder and Angela Merkel. The argument was that such policies helped create a dependency that had geopolitical consequences, and some in Poland linked them to the onset of conflict in Europe.

– stated Deputy Minister Janusz Kowalski.

READ ALSO:

– German ambassador: Warnings from Poland not to become more involved in cooperation with Russia were justified, but ignored

— Aggression against Ukraine and sanctions? The Germans don’t care! Russia remained the country’s largest coal supplier

WK/TT

Source: wPolityce

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