Nord Stream 2: Where is the „Geopolitical Commission“?

In theory, we’ve got a „geopolitical“ EU commission. But in practice, the new team in Brussels doesn’t have much to say about the geopolitically motivated US sanctions against the German-Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

Neither Commission President von der Leyen nor the new foreign affairs commissioner Borrell felt it necessary to comment on the US extraterritorial sanctions against Nord Stream 2.

Although Borrell made a statement on the situation in Venezuela, he remained silent on the measures taken by the „partner“ USA. Von der Leyen had completely disappeared. She sent a spokesperson.

The EU basically rejects sanctions against European companies that conducted „legitimate business“, the spokesperson was allowed to explain. But that was it.

Not a word on the question of energy supply security, which the USA is leading. And not a word about whether the EU wants to answer the sanctions with its own countermeasures.

Yet one would have expected a German EU leader in particular to take a clear position. Didn’t von der Leyen support the gas pipeline not so long ago – as Federal Minister of Defense?

And did she not promise a „geopolitical“ commission to protect „European sovereignty“? If she was serious, she would now have to intervene. Because more geopolitics is hardly possible.

The question is whether Germany and the EU are making themselves too dependent on Russia through Nord Stream – as the USA claims. So it’s about energy sovereignty.

But it is also about the reservations of Eastern Europeans and Ukraine about the gas pipeline project. And the question of how the Commission intends to deal with these concerns.

The longer the Brussels authority remains silent, the louder the US will spread its absurd thesis that the sanctions are „pro-European“ – and that Washington is the true representative of EU-Pacific.

Many European diplomats have expressed their gratitude that the US government has taken these measures, US Ambassador Grenell told „Welt am Sonntag“.

What a mockery! The truth is that the USA is also – if not primarily – interested in pushing its own dirty and expensive fracking gas into the European market.

The EU is to become more dependent on the USA in energy policy, and in doing so is also to put climate protection on the backburner. Former Commission President Juncker has supported this with a non-transparent deal.

The least that can now be expected from the Leyen team is a clarification of whether it wants to continue to honour this transatlantic gas deal – despite the US sanctions…

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator