Because Germany has the third or fourth largest economy in the world. Germany exports between 40 and 50% of its GNP. Without Germany, NATO is ultimately useless and, because we Americans have now moved east to protect Poland, Germany needs to care even less about the viability of NATO. The weakness of Germany in NATO has long been obvious but the new pipeline deal threatens to render Germany into an energy vassal state of Russia. There is no reasoning with Germans on matters of the environment.
As one who lives in Germany, I can tell you that this is a cultish, impenetrable mentality. In the name of global warming they shut down their nuclear plants so I doubt if it even registers with many Germans that they have made themselves only more vulnerable to energy supplies from Russia. The campaign to convert to Sun and wind has become a very painful joke. Nevertheless, there is no reasoning with Germans on this issue.
So we have the most important economic power in Europe believing that climate change is the greatest threat to humanity and willing to sacrifice virtually every other consideration to that challenge. As Germany goes, so goes Europe. I have been warning for some years here about the ultimate danger of a renewed Ribbentrop/Molotov pact. Combine that with an axis including China and we have the landmass, the economy, the technology, the minerals, the petroleum and the population all going against us.
