Trump Was Right About Europe’s Dangerous Dependence On Russian Energy

The Federalist ^ | 07/22/2022 | Jordan Boyd

[SeekAndFind]

The corporate media wrote off Trump’s warning as a knee-jerk reaction and aversion to green energy — but he was right.

For years, Europe has depended on Russia for more than 40 percent of its natural gas imports as well as a large portion of its oil and solid fuels. Now that Russia is embroiled in war and facing sanctions from multiple nations, it has tightened its supply to the European Union. As a result, Europeans are struggling with an energy crisis that is forcing millions to dim their lights and ration hot water.

One Washington Post article soberly announced, “Europe braces for gas ‘nightmare’ as pipeline from Russia shuts off,” after news that the Nord Stream 1 pipeline carrying natural gas was scheduled to undergo days of maintenance that would halt an already slowing flow of energy to Germany.

Even after the pipeline restarted, the government was forced to devote 15 billion euros to bail out Uniper, a German energy company, which has received only “a fraction of its contracted gas volumes” from Russia since the beginning of Vladimir Putin’s war with Ukraine.

Former President Donald Trump predicted this energy power struggle in September 2018 in his speech at the U.N. General Assembly.

“Germany will become totally dependent on Russian energy if it does not immediately change course. Here in the Western Hemisphere, we are committed to maintaining our independence from the encroachment of expansionist foreign powers,” Trump boasted.

Trump made similar remarks during a NATO summit earlier that same year. “Germany, as far as I’m concerned, is captive to Russia because it’s getting so much of its energy from Russia,” Trump told NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. “We have to talk about the billions and billions of dollars that’s being paid to the country we’re supposed to be protecting you against.”

I know CNN & MSNBC never aired this, so I figured I would. Spot on, don't you think? pic.twitter.com/6V1vRKxP8p— Justin Pulitzer 🍊 (@JustinPulitzer) February 24, 2022

Despite the truth in his words, the corporate media wrote off Trump’s warning as a knee-jerk reaction and aversion to green energy. “Fact-checkers” at CNBC claimed, “Trump is exaggerating Germany’s reliance on Russia for energy.”

Four years ago, Trump perfectly predicted what would happen in Europe.

Foreign leaders laughed at him and fact-checkers called his claims “not accurate.”

pic.twitter.com/kt5DF0gDD9— Cabot Phillips (@cabot_phillips) June 20, 2022

Shortly after Trump’s U.N. remarks, the Washington Post published an article headlined, “Trump accused Germany of becoming ‘totally dependent’ on Russian energy at the U.N. The Germans just smirked.”

The article detailed how Trump “lashed out at Germany over its gas imports from Russia” but noted that “Trump’s attacks” had no sway on the German government.

“After his July remarks, Merkel responded that she may be in a better position to judge her country’s dependence than the current U.S. president,” WaPo reported.

Ever since then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel forced her nation to close down all its nuclear power plants after the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan, Germany has not only “created the highest global electricity prices per household in the world,” as noted by Federalist Senior Editor David Harsanyi, but it has also significantly increased its dependence on Russia for energy. This energy flow from Russia is especially needful when the nation’s other green power initiatives such as solar and wind fail to meet demand.

Now Germany, Austria, Italy, and the Netherlands are looking “to resurrect old coal plants” to remedy what has become a problem that could stretch into the imminent cold winter. The Germans aren’t smirking anymore.

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Jordan Boyd is a staff writer at The Federalist and co-producer of The Federalist Radio Hour. Her work has also been featured in The Daily Wire and Fox News. Jordan graduated from Baylor University where she majored in political science and minored in journalism.

[ScottinVA]

Yep; just as Reagan was, 30 years prior. But, typically, the Euros didn’t listen.

[DannyTN]

Yep, and if they don’t drive Russia out of Ukraine and Crimea, Russia will have increasing leverage over Europe.

That’s why it’s absolutely critical they drive Russia out. THey need Ukraine oil and gas competing against Russia.

[jetvol1]

Wonder if the German officials at the UN are still laughing about what Trump said.

https://rumble.com/vvqgrq-german-un-delegation-laughed-at-trump-when-he-warned-them-of-reliance-on-ru.html

[Republican Wildcat]

Not only didn’t listen but laughed at and ridiculed him - and our own press and pundits and Democrats did the same - relentlessly.

[BrexitBen]

Germany is a WOKE disaster area.

And, a powder keg, with the fuse waiting to be lit.

[Huskrrrr]

Imagine that, Trump was right. AGAIN!

[jetvol1]

“Imagine that, Trump was right. AGAIN!”

Go figure right..AGAIN!!!!

[CFW]

“Yep, and if they don’t drive Russia out of Ukraine and Crimea.......”

+++++

Who is going to do that? Who is “they”? At what point is Ukraine going to demand U.S. boots on the ground? I’ve heard the rumbling already of demands for U.S. troops being sent to fight in Ukraine. When did that country become a part of NATO? Are we going to send our military into another long war with no specific goal, and regulations that limit them as to engagement with the “enemy”? Who will be designated as the enemy? Russian military troops or Ukrainians who are on the Russians side in the conflict?

Are we going to once again send young men from our country to die on behalf of the military complex leaders whose rules of engagement make it impossible to actually win and with no end date for the “conflict”?

I think Biden has stirred up a hornet’s next and the U.S. is going to end up being stung in the a$$.

[DannyTN]

Right now “They” is Ukrainians with the help of western weapons.

And unfortunately Moscow Joe is slow walking aid. He’s only delivered 8 million of the $40 million congress authorized. NATO has been too slow with weapon support. They are only now getting Ukraine superior artillery needed to stop Russia’s advance. And they are only now thinking of providing fighter jets.

But if Ukraine fails to push Russia back, then it is in NATO’s best interest to get involved directly.

[Freee-dame]

Billion, not million. One billion is one thousand times one million. One billion is such a large number that the word “billion” sounds too small.

[DannyTN]

Right

We’ve delivered 8 billion of $40 billion authorized. Maybe if Congress authorized $500 billion, Biden would have stepped it up a little and provided at least $10 billion by now.

Those numbers are cheap compared to what it will cost if we actually have to go in.

And consider that just one LPN facility alone in Ukraine that Russia seized was valued at $29 billion. And now Russia controls Europe’s largest Nuclear reactor. I wonder what that is valued at.

Europe will pay higher oil and gas prices and higher grain prices to Russia for decades if Ukraine loses this war. The stakes are much much higher than any paltry $40 billion.

[Dogbert41]

"Yep, and if they don’t drive Russia out of Ukraine and Crimea, Russia will have increasing leverage over Europe. That’s why it’s absolutely critical they drive Russia out. THey need Ukraine oil and gas competing against Russia."

The EU is falling apart. We are not far behind. This Ukraine scam will go down in history as the biggest suicide pact in history.

[A strike]

“How DARE you refuse us gas just because we are fighting a war against you !

[hardspunned]

The problem is Trump was assuming they could get it from us. Trump’s advice doesn’t hold water today. Today Russia is a more stable supplier than the US. Hey, Russia had no problem selling to them. The dolts in Brussels refuse to take the gas. Apparently they’d rather freeze. Stupid euro weenies are almost as self destructive as DC is.

[Republican Wildcat]

It’s a double whammy of stupidity from both sides of the pond.

[dsrtsage]

Bet Germany is pining for some mean tweets about now

[Cobra64]

Yup. How many times have Trump’s predictions been wrong? He’s quite remarkable and I’d like to see him finish what he started in draining the swamp and finishing the Wall.

As VP, DeSantis can study Trump methodology of hard hitting tactics, navigating DC and international affairs. Then on to the corner office for DeSantis in 2029.

[JudgemAll]

Merkel Jeckel, the other crow of Jeckel and Jeckel