Bilateral Relations Between Germany And The Russian Federation: New Geopolitical Challenges Generated By The North Stream 2 Pipeline

In the context of the increasing pressure exerted on the German authorities by a number of EU Member States and by the US Presidential Administration on halting the Russian-German project to build the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, Germany, the main European supporter of the highly controversial pipeline, has permanently reconfirmed its established position, citing the negative consequences of stopping the project at this stage and advocating for the need to prioritize economic interests at the expense of the political sphere. Nevertheless, the recent political tensions created by the case of the dissident Aleksei Navalnîi – which once again brought to the fore the totalitarian actions of the Russian Federation – could lead to a profound erosion of Russian-German relations, resulting in the cessation of the commissioning of the much-disputed pipeline. Furthermore, in view of the resolutions of the current debates in the international political environment, according to which the actions taken by Germany to promote and support the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline are, in fact, the result of the increased energy dependence on the import of natural gas from the Russian Federation, the research undertaken in this article aims to review the premises from which this initiative started, as well as the pro- and con arguments supported by the parties involved, while analysing the recent evolution of German-Russian relations in the light of energy exchanges, as well as the potential measures to be taken to resolve disputes and find mutually beneficial ways of action.