Canada saw through Vladimir Putin’s game by authorizing the transfer of turbines to Russian giant Gazprom last month, Germany says.
We know how strong political pressure was on the Canadian government when it decided to override its embargo against Russia in order to allow the shipment, from Canada, of parts important to the proper functioning of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, said German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock at a press conference in Montreal on Wednesday. She thanked the Trudeau government for “its leadership, […] its support and solidarity with Europe”.
The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has not only launched a “military war”, but also a “hybrid war” which attacks in particular the energy and food security of several countries, she said. argues with his host and Canadian counterpart, Mélanie Joly. “Our best weapon is our unity” in the face of Russian aggression and stratagems, insisted the German minister.
Ukrainian pressure
The Ukrainian government had strongly condemned Ottawa’s decision, seeing in it “a dangerous precedent which violates international solidarity” and which will only have the effect of “reinforcing Russia’s feeling of impunity”.
The decision was “difficult to make” and “frustrating”, confirmed Wednesday Mélanie Joly. But it revealed Vladimir Putin’s “bluff” by depriving him of a “pretext” that he could otherwise have invoked to justify the reduction in his gas exports to Germany and the rest of Europe.
The exemption granted by Ottawa covers six turbines being repaired at a plant of the German company Siemens in Montreal. A first turbine was delivered to Germany two weeks ago, but has still not been recovered and reinstalled by Gazprom, which criticizes the German firm for not having sent it all the necessary documentation.
“This tense and absurd situation was caused by Western restrictions and sanctions,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov defended on Wednesday.
In the meantime, the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline has only been operating at 20% capacity since mid-July.
Cut the dependency link
Representative of the Greens in the coalition government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Annalena Baerbock readily admitted that her country had made a serious “mistake” by placing itself in a situation of heavy dependence on Russian gas. An error that will take time to correct, she argued a few minutes later before the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal.
Already, the share of Russian gas in German imports has fallen from 55% to 26% and Germany has embarked on energy saving policies on a scale unimaginable before the crisis. Berlin is also studying the possibility of keeping its last three nuclear power plants open beyond their final closure promised for the end of the year.
But it’s complicated, explained the minister, because the gas that is missing is used for heating, these nuclear power plants produce electricity and we do not heat ourselves with electricity in Germany. “All scenarios are considered, including the most severe, such as a two-month winter at -10 degrees. It would be difficult. Very very difficult. »
Canada hopes to be able to help and has already raised the possibility of exporting natural gas and hydrogen to Europe. Ottawa has already announced a phased increase in oil and gas exports by 300,000 barrels per day during 2022 to replace Russian oil and gas.
But many discussions are underway between federal departments and with the provinces, including Quebec, continued Mélanie Joly. “It is worth looking at what can be done with hydrogen,” she pointed out in particular. The significant hydroelectric resources in Quebec would even make it possible to kill two birds with one stone by producing green hydrogen and thus contributing to the fight against climate change, she argued.
Call for calm in China
The two foreign ministers took the opportunity to carry the message of their G7 counterparts who, in a joint statement on Wednesday, denounced the “unnecessary escalation” of international tension in the wake of the whirlwind visit to Taiwan. of the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi. “It is normal and customary for lawmakers in our countries to travel abroad,” they argue to China, which has threatened to express its anger towards what it considers to be a province recalcitrant through live-fire exercises at its border and economic coercion.
“We don’t need another conflict,” sighed Annalena Baerbock.