In his role as Global Dictator Trump, he loves to use the words (all caps) IMMEDIATELY and DEMAND. remember that we (U.S.). were to discontinue naval maneuvers off North Korea IMMEDIATELY and "I DEMAND an investigation into the FBI infiltration into his run for president? Well, he is at it again:
Trump Tweet July 11, 2018:
What good is NATO if Germany is paying Russia billions of dollars for gas and energy? Why are there only 5 out of 29 countries that have met their commitment? The U.S. is paying for Europe’s protection, then loses billions on Trade. Must pay 2% of GDP IMMEDIATELY, not by 2025* (underlining mine)
Actually, the Russian pipeline is a matter of some concern as it was so in the Obama Administration, although I am surprised that Trump mentioned it. While it is true that, if you equate all the gas from the pipeline to German consumption, it does become 60-70%; however, the gas is brought all over Western Europe and the amount bought by German companies (not government) is about 20%.**
Unlike the Eastern European countries, Germany has a very diverse energy structure and most of the gas is bought by companies outside of Germany.
Through these pipes, 55 billion cubic meters of Russian gas per year can flow from Russia into Germany. From Vyborg, the gas is sold to utilities, energy companies and chemical manufacturers through Europe’s increasingly interconnected pipeline network to end points across the European Union.**
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This pipeline system, Nord Stream 2, would indeed carry a great deal of gas from Russia to Germany. Trump is, in fact, expressing the American government’s policy of opposition to the pipeline — opposition that his administration shares with the Obama administration, when then-Vice President Joe Biden said: “Nord Stream 2 is a bad deal for Europe.” And, they are, in fact, building a new pipeline.
But, like too many of the president’s pronouncements, what starts with a grain of truth becomes distorted into something else entirely. First, Germany currently receives about half its gas supplies from Russia — if the new pipeline were to replace other sources of gas on a one-to-one basis, it could indeed rise to 60 to 70 percent. However, gas makes up less than 20 percent of Germany’s energy mix for power production, with renewables, coal and nuclear making up the balance.**
* https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/11/trump-demands-nato-countries-meet-defense-spending-goals-immediately.html
** https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/07/11/what-trump-should-have-told-germany-about-russian-gas-219000
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