West Germany followed with 20-year agreement in 1970
This was part of a "gas for pipes" strategy, where West Germany supplied the USSR with equipment in exchange for gas from a new field
It coincided with Chancellor Brandt's push to build relations with its eastern neighbors
This was part of a "gas for pipes" strategy, where West Germany supplied the USSR with equipment in exchange for gas from a new field
It coincided with Chancellor Brandt's push to build relations with its eastern neighbors
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(This came despite criticism from the US)
Gas continued flowing during that period, and countries became more dependent
By the early 1980s, Germany depended on the USSR for 20% of its gas needs. Austria was half
(NYT, 1981)
Independent Ukraine agreed to continue transiting Russian gas to Europe. That led to some nasty disputes on transit fees
And pushed Russia to explore other routes that circumvented Ukraine
Contract disputes after the invasion of Ukraine, coupled with the Nord Stream explosion, resulted in total flows falling since 2022