FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ottawa, May 2, 2021 – A two-page letter was delivered on April 30, 2021 to the Embassy of Germany to be forwarded to Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The letter calls on Chancellor Merkel to halt immediately all construction on Nord Stream 2 (NS2) until Putin takes steps to stand down in Ukraine, stops intimidating Europe, and frees Alexei Navalny.
The letter– part of a worldwide appeal to stop NS2 before Russia expands its control of Europe’s energy supply– was delivered to German embassies and consulates in Washington, Berlin, Paris, Sydney, Ottawa and elsewhere.
The organizers, a global ad hoc coalition concerned with Russia’s expansionism, particularly in Europe, believes the pipeline is Russia’s way of splitting Germany away from the democratic camp by building a pipeline that does not respond to realistic energy needs. The letter warns that it is “self-evident that in the Kremlin’s strategic planning NS2 is not, and never has been, a “commercial project” but a political one, concocted by Putin to greatly increase European dependence on Russian energy, export his corruption and agents throughout Europe.” The pipeline intends to “coerce nations to his will.”
The letter warns that NS2 was conceived by the Russian government to undermine the West’s democratic alliance rather than enhance energy capacity for Europe. Many energy experts believe it is not needed and many European countries are opposed to the pipeline. Germany, itself, is split on the issue.
“Putin must be prevented from this form of European expansionism. He’s seducing Germany and using the NS2 energy supply to gain control in Europe,” said Hon. David Kilgour at the event.
The letter reminds the Chancellor that Russia’s participation has been uncooperative throughout the process. NS2 construction has been mired in disputes. Gazprom has connived to do “everything legally possible to subvert, circumvent, and reject efforts by the European Union and German energy regulators, and has ignored court decisions.” Historically German and Russian alliances have ended badly. The one in 1939 eventually led to WWII.
“Russia cannot be trusted. It breaks international laws and agreements. It’s ludicrous to think that this deal will benefit anyone but the Kremlin, which is already behaving as if it was in charge. My father was a prisoner in Auschwitz because dictators like Putin wanted to change the world in their image. We beg the Chancellor to reconsider,” said Oksana Bashuk Hepburn of the Canadian Group for Democracy in Ukraine, which organized the event in Ottawa.
The view is strongly supported by the government of Ukraine. The United States is against the pipeline and Canada has “significant concerns.”
The letter further urges the Chancellor to maintain a halt while having the pipeline project. reconsidered by an independent international commission of experts. Such a commission would look at the pipeline’s impact on Germany’s and Europe’s energy security in light of the ever growing threat from the dictatorship that is Putin’s Russia.
Contact Oksana Bashuk Hepburn: oksanabh@sympatico.ca