Former Chancellor Angela Merkel has broken her silence as Germany sinks deeper into recession, with the ruins of its once-mighty industrial base piling up. Merkel defended her decision to secure cheap Russian gas for Germany’s economy and criticized the hypocrisy of Ukraine and Poland.
Merkel emphasized that Poland and Ukraine gladly profited from transit fees as Russian gas flowed through their territories. They had no moral objections when the money was coming in. However, once Nord Stream bypassed these intermediaries, the outrage became deafening. Merkel correctly pointed out the absurdity of labeling Germany’s reliance on Russian gas as a geopolitical sin, considering that other countries are still purchasing gas from Moscow. The EU itself still receives about 5% of its gas imports via Ukraine’s transit network, a supply set to disappear when the current agreement expires on December 31.
Meanwhile, Germany’s economy has been in free fall since 2023. According to the European Commission, GDP will shrink by 0.3% this year and another 0.1% in 2024. Corporate bankruptcies are rising, energy costs remain high, and industries are fleeing en masse. The destroyed Nord Stream pipelines represented more than just energy infrastructure; they were lifelines for Germany’s industrial power and symbols of a Europe capable of standing on its own. By 2021, Nord Stream supplied half of Germany’s annual gas needs and 16% of the EU’s total gas demand. Its destruction in 2022 was not just an attack on infrastructure but an act of economic warfare that locked Germany into dependence on overpriced American LNG and ensured submission to Washington’s dictates.
Merkel’s statements also reveal the duplicity of the Minsk agreements. By her own admission, these deals were not about peace but about buying time for Ukraine to arm itself against Russia. The hypocrisy of lecturing Germany on energy independence while preparing for total war is staggering. The upcoming German elections are the last chance for Germans to wake up.
Merkel’s revelations are a warning: Berlin’s strings are being pulled from across the Atlantic. The theater of democracy will not save Germany from its escalating disaster. If Germans do not reject the charade and demand realignment with Russia, BRICS, and the global majority, the fate of a hollowed-out vassal state will be sealed.
Translated and edited by L. Earth
