Germany’s Gas Crisis — A Cold Winter Explained

The former Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, has been on our minds because of her first public appearance since Putin’s latest invasion of Ukraine, in early June 2022.

In it, she stated, somewhat controversially, that she does not feel any responsibility for Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion in late February earlier this year. She rightfully put the blame on Putin. At the same time, many have pointed out that some of Merkel’s policies failed to prevent Putin’s ambitions.

Indeed, on closer inspection, it is difficult to see it otherwise.

Photo by Maheshkumar Painam on Unsplash

Many have been critical of Merkel for her purposeful integration of Russia’s energy sector with the European Union’s market. For Merkel, this integration was meant to make Putin reliant on the EU for political and economic stability.

That noteworthy and positive motive backfired, however. We now know that the party that has become more reliant on this trade exchange is the EU rather than Russia, as Russia can find alternative trade sources in the short and long term. In the meantime, a rise in energy prices made sure that Putin benefited from the supply shortages in Europe.

So, Merkel’s strategy of integration has been criticized, despite its positive intentions. This integration now means that many politicians in Europe…