Russia was more deeply embedded in German politics than suspected
But that has changed fast
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”
Europe October 22nd 2022
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