After decades of embracing pacifism to atone for two world wars, Germany stands to emerge under Chancellor Olaf Scholz as a true global power—with a military to match
a major share to the E.U.’s €1.5 billion military aid package.) After the atrocities in Bucha emerged in early April, leading members of Scholz’s governing coalition began pushing harder for the delivery of heavy weapons.
Cutting off Russian fossil fuels would definitely hurt. With few energy resources of its own, Germany relies heavily on imports, and, in 2021, got roughly 50% of its coal, 34% of its oil, and 55% of its natural gas from Russia, according energy think tank Agora Energiewende. Although itGermany Can’t Rely on Russian Energy. It Doesn’t Know What to Do Instead
Scholz is clear that the era of co-dependency is coming to an end, but he takes the long view. “We are preparing for getting out of the situation,” he says, with emphasis on theIn line with sanctions that the E.U. recently imposed, Germany plans to phase out Russian coal by the end of summer. By the end of the year, the same will be true of oil imports, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has said.
Scholz’s rejection of an immediate embargo, coupled with his characteristic reluctance to explain himself, has left some wondering if the German political eliteBut when pressed on whether he envisions some kind of rapprochement with Russia, Scholz concedes that there is no going back.
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