Page 4 - FSUOGM Week 36

FSUOGM COMMENTARY FSUOGM

Navalny and Nord Stream 2:

Pressure on Berlin to end its

support for the Russian pipe

Nord Stream 2 faces challenges on all sides, and the poisoning of Russia's

most prominent opposition figure has added another one

EUROPE THE revelation that Russia dissident Alexei
Navalny was poisoned by a Novichok nerve
WHAT: agent prompted a number of leading German
A number of German politicians to call for Berlin to withdraw its sup-
politicians have called port for Russia’s controversial Nord Stream 2 gas
for Berlin to withdraw pipeline. The German government has warned it
its support for Nord could rethink its position on the project if Mos-
Stream 2 in light of cow does not provide answers in the investiga-
Russian dissident Alexei tion into the assassination attempt.
Navalny's poisoning, with "I hope the Russians won't force us to change
the German government our position regarding the Nord Stream 2," Ger-
warning that the pipeline man Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told the Bild
project's fate may be at am Sonntag newspaper. "If there won't be con-
stake. tributions from the Russian side regarding the
investigation in the coming days, we will have to
WHY: consult with our partners."
German politicians Some of the calls to block the pipeline have
say Germany and come from Chancellor Angela Merkel’s own Some have spoken in the pipeline’s defence, Russian opposition
Europe need more than CDU party, including from Norbert Rottgen, however, including Markus Soder, the leader of figure Alexei Navalny.
"diplomatic rituals" to Chairman of the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs the CDU’s Bavarian sister party CSU. He said
respond to such actions Committee and party leadership candidate. Nord Stream 2’s future was “not a government
by Moscow. Rottgen has said Nord Stream 2 should be decision”, but an economic one that has to be
halted “as a joint European response.” made by private stakeholders.
WHAT NEXT: “Russian pursues inhuman and contemp- The Kremlin has hit back, saying calls to halt
Merkel's government is tuous politics. Diplomatic rituals are no longer Nord Stream 2 in Germany are “emotional state-
ultimately unlikely to enough,” the former government minister wrote ments that are not based on certain facts.”
reverse course on Nord on social media. “After the poisoning of Navalny “The Nord Stream 2 is a commercial project
Stream 2, given how we need a strong European answer which Putin in the interests of both countries; in the interests
near the pipeline is to understands: the EU should jointly decide to of the energy security of the entire European
completion and its clear stop Nord Stream 2.” continent.”
economic benefits for The pro-business liberal FDP party, which
Germany. has long opposed Nord Stream 2, expressed Assassination attempt
similar sentiment. Navalny is the most prominent critic of the
“A region that organises murders by poison- Kremlin in Russia. He has investigated many
ing is no partner for big co-operative projects – senior Russian officials for corruption over
and that includes pipeline projects,” FDP leader the years, including some in Russian Presi-
Christian Lindner said. dent Vladimir Putin's inner circle. He has also
German Green Party head Katrin Goring-Eck- rejected Russian elections as being neither free
ardt said a “clear answer” was needed from Ger- nor fair.
many and EU in response to Navalny’s attempted The opposition activist fell violently ill on
assassination. Berlin could, for example, make a flight from Tomsk to Moscow on August 20.
clear that “Nord Stream 2 is no longer something His representatives said he was poisoned, likely
that we can promote together with Russia.” by something mixed into his tea. After initial

P4 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 36 09•September•2020