The Nord Stream 2 project would redirect between 70 and 80 percent of Russian gas exports through one route directly to the lucrative Western European markets, eliminating Ukraine as a major gas transit country, and bypassing most of Central and Eastern Europe. This would leave Ukraine in an extremely vulnerable position and expose it to further Russian aggression—threatening European security as well. Chancellor Merkel seems to understand this, but her coalition government depends on the Social Democratic Party, which has long been aligned with Russian business interests. Thus, dropping Nord Stream 2 is almost impossible for Merkel without causing a political crisis.
OP-ED
Judy Dempsey: Should Germany dump Nord Stream 2?
The first pipes produced
by EUROPIPE GmbH
for the Nord Stream 2
project were delivered
on Oct. 27, 2016, by rail
to the German logistics
hub in Mukran, on the
island of Rügen.
