More Than Double?

February 10, 2022 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Hurt Feelings Tags: Dependency, Energy, Germany, Inflation, Nord Stream 2, Oil, Pipelines, Russia, Ukraine Leave a comment

For the country that already pays the highest energy prices in Europe?

Why The Latest Russia Crisis Might Be Worse For Berlin Than Moscow And Kyiv – Germany is wedded to Russian oil and gas. If things got hot, what would Russia do?

“In the hypothetical event of a full-blown conflict between Russia and Ukraine, we would expect the main impact on the eurozone economy to stem from higher gas prices. We would expect gas prices to more than double. Eurozone inflation would hit over 6% by the spring and remain elevated longer than in our base case.”

German Of The Day: Enttäuschend

February 6, 2022 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Hurt Feelings, Hypocrisy Tags: Gas, German, Germans, Germany, Jim Risch, Language, Nord Stream 2, Olaf Scholz, Pipelines, Russia, Ukraine Leave a comment

That means disappointing.

Olaf Scholz goes to Washington. Hope he’s not too disappointed with all the disappointment there.

“The German government’s actions to date with respect to Ukraine have been disappointing at best. All of us in NATO are doing what we can to help Ukraine. And I think many of us believe that a country of Germany’s importance and capabilities could and should do a lot. Especially at a time that will be so important for the future of the European security order. I hope the German Government will decide to do the right thing.“

The Invisible Man

February 4, 2022 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: Gas, German, Germans, Germany, North Stream 2, Oil Pipelines, Pipelines, Russia, Ukraine Leave a comment

Impossible to find when hard decisions need to be made – concerning Russia.

Hey, once a Sozi (Social Democrat mini-Socialist pinko), always a Sozi.

Germany’s new chancellor Olaf Scholz is waving goodbye to the honeymoon period of his tenure, as his “inaudible” stance over the brewing crisis on the Ukrainian border is failing to impress not just Russia-hawks abroad but also more ambivalent voters at home.

Scholz, whose liberal-left “traffic light” coalition was sworn in less than two months ago, has been criticised by Kyiv and other east-central European capitals for sticking to his country’s restrictive stance on weapons export to crisis regions and looking slow to spell out the potential sanctions that could be triggered by a Russian invasion into Ukraine.

German Of The Day: Cyber-Attacke

February 2, 2022 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Dependency, Energy, Gas, German, Germany, Language, North Stream 2, Oil, Pipelines, Russia, Ukraine Leave a comment

That means cyberattack.

An oil storage and a supply firm? Why would anybody attack oil storage and supply firms in Germany these days? And who could have possibly done it?

Germany: 2 oil storage and supply firms hit by cyberattack – Two companies involved in storing and supplying oil and other materials said Tuesday they have been hit by a cyberattack that has impacted operations in Germany.

Oiltanking GmbH Group and Mabanaft Group on Saturday discovered what they called a “cyber incident affecting our IT systems” and launched an investigation together with external specialists, the companies said in an emailed statement. They did not elaborate on the nature of the incident or address who might be responsible, and said they are working to understand its “full scope.”

This Is CNN?

February 1, 2022 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Hypocrisy Tags: Blackmail, Dependency, Energy, Gas, German, Germans, Germany, Media, North Stream 2, Pipelines, Putin, Russia, Ukraine Leave a comment

How refreshing or something. What others (conservative voices) have been warning about for years and years has finally gone “mainstream” – as in North Stream 2.

Why Germany is so vulnerable to Russian blackmail – Roughly half of Germany’s natural gas imports come from Russia. That reliance will become increasingly important in coming years as Germany embarks on a simultaneous phaseout from coal and nuclear energy. Russia is also an important destination for German exports. And for historical reasons, German leaders have long desired close relations with Russia.

Slowly but surely, Germany has maneuvered itself into a position of vulnerability vis-à-vis the Kremlin.

German Of The Day: Aussetzen

November 16, 2021 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Hurt Feelings Tags: Dependency, Energy, Gas, German, Germany, Language, Nord Stream 2, Pipelines, Russia 1 Comment

That means suspend.

Certification of controversial Russian gas pipeline suspended by Germany – The United States and Ukraine oppose Nord Stream 2, which was completed earlier this year but is not yet in operation.

Germany’s network regulator said Tuesday that it has suspended its procedure to certify the operator of a new pipeline that would bring Russian gas to the country under the Baltic Sea because of an issue with the company’s status under German law.

Die Bundesnetzagentur setzt ihr Verfahren zur Freigabe des Gastransports durch die Gaspipeline Nord Stream 2 vorläufig aus.

Nord Stream 2 Not 2 Bad Under Biden

June 23, 2021 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Home Cooking, Hustle (Hoax), Hypocrisy Tags: Dependency, Energy, German, Germans, Germany, Joe Biden, Nord Stream 2, Pipelines, Russia, Sanctions, Vladimir Putin Leave a comment

It is European, after all. His national security advisor explains to us now that the company at the center of Russia’s natural gas pipeline is actually Swiss.

Well, thank goodness. Then what was all the fuss about up until now?

Nord Stream 2 AG is indeed based in Switzerland, but the company is owned by Gazprom, a Russian state-owned energy company based in Moscow.

”No amount of spin from the Biden administration will change the reality that Putin’s pipeline is a geopolitical weapon pointed at our allies in Europe,” Barrasso said. “President Biden and his team are desperate to distract from the fact that by not sanctioning them, they have allowed Putin’s pipeline to be locked and loaded.”

Berlin Instructing Washington On How It Will Get Its Way

June 2, 2021 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings, Hypocrisy Tags: Gas, Germany, Joe Biden, NATO, Nord Stream 2, Pipelines, Russia, Ukraine, USA Leave a comment

But they are doing so in a way that will help create the illusion that the current Banana Republican administration in Washington has something to say in the matter.

Germany, U.S. hold talks in Washington on Nord Stream 2, Berlin says – Germany and the United States are holding talks in Washington to try to resolve a row over the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Tuesday…

Russia’s Gazprom (GAZP.MM) and its Western partners are racing to finish the Nord Stream 2 pipeline under the Baltic Sea. The project, now about 95% complete, would bypass Ukraine, potentially depriving it of lucrative transit fees and undermining its struggle against Russian aggression.

Who Would Have Thought That?

May 20, 2021 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Humility, Hypocrisy Tags: Gas, Germany, Joe Biden, Nord Stream 2, Pipelines, Russia, USA Leave a comment

That the Banana Republic would let Germany get away with the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

US Spares Ally Germany in Sanctions for Nord Stream Pipeline – The U.S. has battled for years to block the pipeline, now 95% complete, though construction has not yet started on its German leg. The pipeline will carry natural gas from Russia to Germany, increasing Russia’s leverage as a vital energy supplier in Europe. The U.S. argues that the pipeline threatens European energy security, heightens Russia’s influence and poses risks to Ukraine and Poland in bypassing both countries.

“The Nord Stream 2 project is in line with our commitment to strengthen our Transatlantic relationships as a matter of national security.”

But If We Stop Nord Steam 2…

September 9, 2020 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hi-tech, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hostility, Hurt Feelings Tags: Alexei Navalny, Angela Merkel, Dependency, Donald Trump, Gas, German, Germans, Germany, Nord Stream 2, Novichok, Opposition, Pipelines, Poison, Russia, Vladimir Putin Leave a comment

We’ll be agreeing with Donald Trump!

Nord Stream 2: Why Germany may pull plug on Russian pipeline – For the first time since building began almost a decade ago, the future of the pipeline looks threatened.

Ironically, one reason that many Germans support the pipeline is because its greatest critic is US President Donald Trump. He is disliked in Germany and his rants against the pipeline only serve to boost its popularity.

Many voters suspect he wants it scrapped in order to sell American fuel to Germany instead. Mrs Merkel has to avoid the impression that she is giving in to pressure from Mr Trump.

Observing Hermann

“Was interessiert mich mein Geschwätz von gestern?”

Tag Archives: Pipelines