Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) has defended her decision to rely heavily on Russian gas for Germany’s energy supply. With the planned phasing out of nuclear and coal, natural gas was needed for a transition period to the expanded supply of CO2-free forms of energy, Merkel said in Lisbon on Thursday. It was “very rational and understandable” to buy Russian gas.
Because this was cheaper than liquefied gas from the US, Saudi Arabia or Qatar. Moreover, Russia was “a reliable energy supplier even during the Cold War (…),” Merkel said at a press conference in the Portuguese capital.
While she “never believed there was such a thing as change through trade,” “there is a connection through trade. And in that regard, I don’t regret any decisions at all, I believe it was the right thing to do from the perspective of the time.”
“It’s a Turning Point”
Russia’s “cruel attack” on Ukraine changed the situation. “It’s a turning point,” said the former chancellor. “Of course the new government has to deal with that. And she does.” Merkel spoke at a press conference announcing the winners of the Portuguese Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity. The former chancellor presided over the jury.
Source: Krone
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