4/8/21
In this era of renewed great power competition it's not often that a single policy decision can hit both Russia and China, but the Nord Stream 2 pipeline presents that opportunity for Team Biden. Much has already been written about Nord Stream 2 and the Russian-sponsored corruption surrounding it. For instance, we know that Vladimir Putin's hand-picked chief executive to run the pipeline is none other than former East German Stasi agent Matthias Warnig. Nothing is off limits in pursuit of Putin's pet project, including attempts "to recruit German politicians to lobby" for Nord Stream and quietly recruiting spies across the European Union to gain nonpublic insights on policy debates. Some have referred to this strategy as "Schroederization," referring to former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. One of his last acts as chancellor was permitting the construction of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. This final gift to Putin, along with his high-placed German contacts, helped Schroeder become a highly paid European surrogate for Putin's energy ambitions. This context is important not just because a few Europeans are getting rich doing the Kremlin's dirty work. That in and of itself is unremarkable. What is remarkable is that they've been able to use their influence in Germany, and among political and media elites, to convince the country not to abandon the project.
At full capacity, the pipeline would reroute 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas around Ukraine and eastern Europe. It is estimated to reduce Ukraine's natural gas transit revenues by approximately $1 billion annually, weakening President Volodymyr Zelensky and giving Putin additional leverage by which he can extort Europe. Russia's malign influence isn't the only form of corruption associated with Nord Stream 2. Like a moth to a flame, dirty money draws in others looking to get rich and exert influence. The pipeline, and in particular its base of construction in the Port of Mukran, is that flame, and China is the moth. China is utilizing the port as a key part of its One Belt One Road initiative—the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) attempt to better integrate China's internal markets with others through politically inspired extensions of credit, thereby bringing other countries into the CCP's geopolitical orbit. Mukran Port, or "friendship bridge" as it was dubbed by the East German communist regime, was once used by the Soviets to covertly ship munitions, troops and nuclear warheads to East Germany. It is now being co-opted by Putin and Xi to advance their brand of totalitarianism and economic coercion. If the West can sever these connections through a combination of sanctions and old-fashioned hard-nose diplomacy, it will be a win for human rights and Western values.
