North Stream 2 or How Grinchkel Stole the Transit Fees

**Sarmatian** · 12-21-2015, 22:51

So, get this - there were to be two gas pipelines from Russia to Europe, North and South Stream. The main reason was to bypass "problematic" countries of Eastern Europe and the Baltic region.

Germany got its big, fat greedy paws on the North Stream. They deal directly with Russians, no transit fees, no pesky Ukrainians or Poles demanding their share or say. Beautiful.

Then, EU commission decided that South Stream violates some EU rules, and forced Bulgaria to stall, and so some 6 countries from South and Southeastern Europe were denied access to cheap and reliable energy, a hugely needed investments in infrastructure and transit fees. It's okay for Germany, it's a breach of rules for everyone else.

Germany champions automatic extensions of sanctions towards Russia and all they while they negotiate a new deal with Moscow, the aforementioned North Stream 2, which would double the capacity and completely remove the need for the pipeline in Ukraine, and bring Russian gas to other western European countries.

Now, Germany gets the transit fees and even more influence, eastern and southeastern Europe countries are screwed over as usual, most of all Ukraine, which stands to lose about 2bn $ annually in transit fees and they already have a hole in their budget the size of Mariana trench. So, EU and US force Ukraine into a conflict with Russia that threatens to bankrupt the country, promise to help a lot, do almost nothing and now they actually steal money from Ukraine, before you could say Crimea River.

According to Merkel and German government, politics should stay out of this deal.

I don't know who's crazy here anymore, but I'm starting to think Germany needs to be leveled every half a century or so.

**Gilrandir** · 12-22-2015, 15:08

AFAIK the construction of North Stream 2 is still in question:

https://www.rt.com/business/324224-n...urope-gazprom/

Especially with the sanctions still active.

And "forcing" Ukraine into a conflict with Russia is totally Russian discourse which I thought we have been through with. It is Russia who is paranoic in considering every event around them as a threat (like the free trade agreement between the EU and Ukraine which is to come into effect in January 1 so Russia stops all trade with Ukraine, the trade which is petering out by itself) and overreacts. Consequently it is Russia that starts conflicts.

**I of the Storm** · 12-22-2015, 17:41

Ve vill rule ze vorld eventually. It's inevitable. Resistance is futile.

But since wars of conquests are bad for business, not really PC anymore and generally sooo 20th century, we have to be a little creative in the economic sector these days...

It definitely lacks in style though.