minigun wrote:QUOTE (minigun @ Jul 11 2018, 07:57 PM) Trump calls germany a captive of Russia. I think he's right.
Maybe in parts, but mostly he's wrong.
QUOTE Well, I have to say, I think it’s very sad when Germany makes a massive oil and gas deal with Russia, where you’re supposed to be guarding against Russia, and Germany goes out and pays billions and billions of dollars a year to Russia. So we’re protecting Germany. We’re protecting France. We’re protecting all of these countries. And then numerous of the countries go out and make a pipeline deal with Russia, where they’re paying billions of dollars into the coffers of Russia.So we’re protect you against Russia, but they’re paying billions of dollars to Russia, and I think that’s very inappropriate. And the former Chancellor of Germany is the head of the pipeline company that’s supplying the gas. Ultimately, Germany will have almost 70 percent of their country controlled by Russia with natural gas.
So you tell me, is that appropriate? I mean, I’ve been complaining about this from the time I got in. It should have never been allowed to have happened. But Germany is totally controlled by Russia, because they will be getting from 60 to 70 percent of their energy from Russia and a new pipeline. And you tell me if that’s appropriate, because I think it’s not, and I think it’s a very bad thing for NATO and I don’t think it should have happened. And I think we have to talk to Germany about it.[/quote]
Oil and Gas imports EU:
http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-ex..._oils_to_the_EU
http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-ex...lue_updated.png
Basically not only Germany depends on RU gas/oil imports, so does Italy, the Netherlands and Poland.
Schröder and Putin were buddies since he was chancellor, nobody in Germany likes it that he's involved into Gazprom (holds 51% of North Stream II) business after he left politics. Basically North Stream is a protecting Russian interest against current transit pipeline countries like not paying in time and shutting down transit to paying EU countries, of course Poland is not happy about it, because they won't earn anything for transit to other EU countries.
Germany (2017) primary energy resources (2015):
22.5% non-Russian oil
12% Russia oil
14.9% non-Russian natural gas
8.8% Russian natural gas
13.2% renewable energy
7.3% non-Russian stone coal
3.7% Russian stone coal
11.2% brown coal
6.1% nuclear power
Less than 25% market share doesn't mean total control...
Also the European countries depend since decades on Soviet/Russian gas...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia_in ... rgy_sector
Anyway, overall Russia depends more on Germany (11% imports, 7.8% exports), than Germany depends on Russia (Russia is not even mentioned as export/import partner of Germany within the CIA World Fact Book).
QUOTE On top of that, Germany is just paying a little bit over 1 percent, whereas the United States, in actual numbers, is paying 4.2 percent of a much larger GDP. So I think that’s inappropriate also. You know, we’re protecting Germany, we’re protecting France. We’re protecting everybody. And yet we’re paying a lot of money to protect.[/quote]
Everyone in Germany noticed during the past years we have to spend more to our military equipment.
Trump forgets that the USA military operates worldwide and has non-NATO responsibilities (Pacific Fleet, AUS/NZ, Japan, South Korea, SPACE FORCE, ...). So why compare apples and oranges.
Overall the Baltic states and Poland asking for help against potential Russian aggression, not really the other NATO partners.
