Disclosure: I haven’t read the article. Just checked title match.
I remember someone quoting Germany’s former Chancellor telling “the US just want to sell their dirty gas” obtained via fracking. After she left, R invasion triggered the US receiving substantial orders for LNG. And of military equipment. I am still awaiting for someone to calculate how much it tilted trade balance. And how farther it pushed the possibility for a sustainable development.
Realpolitik is very German. The current phrase is "Wandel durch Handel", sounds more polite, but don't misunderstand. Germany will pay nice money and later Germany will call shots. 25 out of 27 EU members are subsidised by Germany and the Netherlands, guess how many of those 25 run a trade surplus against Germany. Same thing with gas: Putin wanted to diversify the gas distribution and at the end he had two pipelines to Germany.
AFAIK Germany's never ever backed down in one of those confrontations. Handel fine, good money for everyone, but the Wandel absolutely has to come on the other side.
Disclosure: I haven’t read the article. Just checked title match.
I remember someone quoting Germany’s former Chancellor telling “the US just want to sell their dirty gas” obtained via fracking. After she left, R invasion triggered the US receiving substantial orders for LNG. And of military equipment. I am still awaiting for someone to calculate how much it tilted trade balance. And how farther it pushed the possibility for a sustainable development.
Realpolitik is a german word.
Realpolitik is very German. The current phrase is "Wandel durch Handel", sounds more polite, but don't misunderstand. Germany will pay nice money and later Germany will call shots. 25 out of 27 EU members are subsidised by Germany and the Netherlands, guess how many of those 25 run a trade surplus against Germany. Same thing with gas: Putin wanted to diversify the gas distribution and at the end he had two pipelines to Germany.
AFAIK Germany's never ever backed down in one of those confrontations. Handel fine, good money for everyone, but the Wandel absolutely has to come on the other side.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wandel_durch_Handel