Posted on 06/13/2018 1:57:23 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
The U.S. President Donald Trump objected to the Nord Stream II natural gas pipeline to carry Russian gas to Germany through the Baltic Sea prior to a working lunch with the heads of the Baltic States.
In April, Trump met with the presidents of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in the White House to discuss energy and security issues.
"Germany hooks up a pipeline into Russia, where Germany is going to be paying billions of dollars for energy into Russia," said Trump and added, "And I’m saying, “What’s going on with that? How come Germany is paying vast amounts of money to Russia when they hook up a pipeline? That’s not right."
In addition to the U.S., many European countries, including Denmark, Poland and Lithuania, are against the Nord Stream II claiming it will increase Russian influence on European energy markets.
In November 2017, the Danish Parliament approved a law that allows the country's authorities to prohibit the construction of Nord Stream II in Danish territorial waters.
On March 27, the project received the permit for the construction and operation of the pipeline system in Germany.
The project is co-financed by five European companies, E.ON, Wintershall, Shell, OMV and Engie.
(Excerpt) Read more at aa.com.tr ...
Interesting. Don’t we believe in competition and development? Trump must think the Russkies have something else in mind.
Is this a true national security issue to America? If so, how so?
Sounds like we are trying to help out our American friendly allies in Europe like Poland and Czech Rep.
It’s fascinating that the huns even use the “Russian interference” trick on their own population, but they’re looking to hook up with the Russkies in order to damage the USA’s growing energy empire.
These are supposedly NATO “allies”......yet they don’t spend even a paltry 2% if GDP on Defense like they committed to and they scream for us to provide for their defense WHILE they move pell mell to buy ever more of their energy from the very country they want us to protect them against.
You don’t see the problem here? Since we’ve been subsidizing their defense, shouldn’t they be buying our gas instead of the Russians’ gas?
“How come Germany is paying vast amounts of money to Russia when they hook up a pipeline?”
What exactly does this sentence mean? Does it mean that Russia is charging Germany just for hookup? Or is this part of a package deal? I’m not sure I understand the ramifications. Does it mean that Russia does not have the technical capability to hook German pipes up to Russia pipe heads? Can anyone answer that question? Or is it merely the fog of journalistic “clarity.”
“”Germany hooks up a pipeline into Russia, where Germany is going to be paying billions of dollars for energy into Russia,” said Trump and added, “And I’m saying, “What’s going on with that? How come Germany is paying vast amounts of money to Russia when they hook up a pipeline? That’s not right.””
Maybe so but isn’t this Germany’s business? Not sure why Trump is worrying about it.
Russia and Germany are our enemies. Let them rot
Europeans, Western and Eastern, depend on oil and natural gas for their lives. They have no real resource of fuel on the continent to ensure they stay warm in the winters.
Throughout history, Russia has been the dominant supplier of gas to Europe via pipeline. And Russian heads and oligarchs have often abused their market dominance.
When Russia tells European heads of state that policies are to be carried out in such and such way, the consequences of not complying can mean and have meant a cutoff of fuel in winter. Europeans hate Russians for doing this, the population is highly skeptical of anything the Russians offer.
When Russians have put the screws to Europe before, the Europeans have begged the US for help. The Europeans have begged the Saudis to build pipelines through Syria into Turkey up into Europe to bypass the Russian pipelines. This is why Syria and Turkey are targeted by Russians for market control. This is the center of the global security threat.
America has the most gas by far than any other place on Earth. Pipelines, LNG ports/ships supplying Europe and Asia, especially Korea, can create millions of long-lasting and high-paying jobs for Americans. This is where Trump is coming from. By setting up the infrastructure to compete with the Russians, breaking their grip on European markets, the US stabilizes Europe and decreases the likelihood of war. The Russians will be angry but they can do nothing about it.
Russian gas will be cheaper.
That’s Ok.
He’s virtue signaling - Germany is going along with the US Media that Russia is teh evil and influenced our election and must be stopped...
And yet they’re going to turn over their dependence on energy to Russia...
Who’s being influenced by Russia here?
Because Germany won’t stop interfering in our business.
Not if it's not party of a treaty agreement. They would be stupid not to buy the least expensive best gas available. Nations are sovereign and can and should do what they want as long as they don't threaten another nation's sovereignty or unreasonably break treaty agreements.
If there's no threat to the U.S., Germany should buy gas from wherever they want and if we're subsidizing them for stupid reasons, then shame on us.
That’s fine. Let the free market work and get the stupid feds out of our way of finding and developing our massive petroleum and energy resources. But I hate meddling with another country’s sovereign right to do what they want as long as it is not a direct threat to the U.S. or our allies.
He, Trump, is not ‘meddling’. It’s the Baltic states, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, who are asking Trump to stop the EU from making a deal to run more Russia pipes through their territory.
The Baltic states joined the EU long ago hoping to distance themselves from Russian influence. They feel the EU and Russia are cutting a deal and giving them no voice to object. If the US transports oil and gas to the Baltics, the Russian deal loses leverage.
That’s my take.
To me, that is an issue between the the Baltic states - Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia - the EU, and Russia. Don’t see where we should necessarily interfere except to possibly voice an opinion.
Because Russia already has a stranglehold on energy to Europe. A pipeline will solidify their absolute control of energy to Europeans and as they have demonstrated before, they will not hesitate to turn OFF the supply when the weather gets cold if their demands are not met. Germany has to be in cahoots with Russia. The EAST German idiot will sell out Germany in a heartbeat.
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