Chancellor Olaf Scholz Reluctant To Shutdown Nord Stream 1 as It Would Affect Germany's Natural Gas Reservoirs

(Photo : JOHN MACDOUGALL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Svenja Schulze (L) and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (C) wear face masks as they talk with deputy government spokesman Wolfgang Buechner at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting at the Chancellery in Berlin, on February 9, 2022.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz allowed the closing of Nord Stream 2 as a concession to effect sanctions against Russia's rollout over Russian loyalist provinces.

However, they want him to close the Nord Stream 1, as the heat is building upon Berlin. Germany is heavily dependent on Russian natural gas and has a stake in both pipelines, which pumps in energy for the Bloc members.

Nord Stream Pipelines Closure Could Affect Germany's Economy

The Ukrainians want Scholz to close the Nord Stream 1 and take the slack in distributing the energy, reported Express UK.

Previously the Chancellor stopped the approval of the Nord Stream 2 to operate, which would have been a boon to Germany. But bypassed Kyiv and was included in sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin for the invasion.

Certification the Nord Stream 2 would have made the hold of the Kremlin on the bloc's energy needs tighter. Even before the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines got spotlighted as geopolitical weapons to use on the EU by the Kremlin, the total of the bloc's energy provided is 40%, even then it could be turned on them.

A problem for Scholz is whether to shut the Nord Stream 1 as well, which runs under the Baltic Sea straight from Russia. Both pipelines give Berlin massive coverage compared to the other EU members.

The Ukrainian Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (GTSOU), via its head Sergiy Makogon spoke to a German news outlet, saying he wants the Nord Stream 1 pipeline shut that could affect Germany's economy. He then stressed that the decision of Chancellor Olaf Scholz was good for the two countries in closing the Nord Stream 1.

Berlin tried its best to avoid provoking Putin but got branded for it. Makogon asserted that the extra gas capacity was only for politics, not for supplying energy, cited News Lanes.

He added that closing both the pipelines is geared to allow the bloc to depend on another entity other than Russian gas and press on Moscow not to invade Ukraine. This move would force Putin not to attack because it will be attacking the EU's provider.

Germany's Energy Security Compromise

Makogon said that unity with Ukraine would be beneficial for Kyiv and the Bloc. He thinks that choosing Ukraine facilities of EU members to supply energy would be better for Germany in the long run.

He seems to intend to stop the Nord Stream 1 and shift the gas pumping to a non-EU member, but Scholz has not issued any response to these statements yet. Germany stands to lose a lot with the proposal, but the GTSOU would wield more influence than it does now.

The German Chancellor has been suing for peace but actions alleged by the Kremlin have forced its hand. Reluctantly his country broke a taboo by sending weapons, and any attempt to sway Putin is lost.

Berlin would not cut its supplies of Russian energy, or a crisis will happen due to dependence on it, as some the US does not understand.

The German Minister for the Economy, Robert Habeck, said an embargo would be damaging and unwise for energy security. Further, Scholz is under pressure from Ukraine to close the Nord Stream 1 so the supply can shift to GTSOU, as it would be hard for Germany to compromise its energy security in the first place.