Europe | Russia’s waning influence in Germany

Russia was more deeply embedded in German politics than suspected

But that has changed fast

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (R) welcomes Russia's President Vladimir Putin at the Chancellery in Berlin, September 8, 2005. Poland's energy supplies will remain secure after Russia and Germany sign a deal to build a gas pipeline that bypasses Poland, Warsaw's economy minister said on Thursday. Many observers in Poland, which has cool relations with Moscow, fear the new pipeline will allow Russia to cut off its existing link to Germany, which also supplies Poland. REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz MAD/CVI - RP6DRNACCGAC
|BERLIN

At a trade congress in early October Olaf Scholz, Germany’s chancellor, declared that he “always” knew Russia would use its energy resources as a weapon. But in 2016, when he was vice-chancellor and his Social Democrats were the junior partner in a coalition led by Angela Merkel, Mr Scholz said it was simply “not correct” to suggest that Nord Stream 2, a second gas pipeline across the Baltic Sea, might make Germany too dependent on Russia.

This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “The Kremlin’s empty lobby”

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