Nord Stream saga shows German leaders' magical thinking and economical approach to the truth
Hanover
.
The 81-year-old ex-chancellor, lawyer and
Russian
energy lobbyist has been suffering from burnout, according to his doctor. But Tuesday's election of a new Lower Saxon state premier – a role Schröder filled for eight years until his election as chancellor in 1998 – was a special occasion worth rallying for.
'I'm still here,' joked a grinning Schröder.
Where Schröder still isn't is at a parliamentary inquiry into the Nord Stream gas pipelines.
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One of Schröder's final acts as chancellor was to green light
Nord Stream
1, two 1,200km-long pipelines carrying Russian natural gas under the Baltic Sea.
After leaving office Schröder, a close friend of Russian president
Vladimir Putin
, joined one of the pipeline consortium's supervisory boards.
Since then the Hanover-based lawyer has doubled as a lobbyist for Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom. Though he has condemned Russia's invasion of
Ukraine
, he has held back in his criticism of Putin and, as a result, many people actively avoid him.
Not so in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where the pipelines made land in Germany
A state parliamentary committee extended an invitation to Schröder to explain his version of the Nord Stream drama. Its last act to date was a series of unexplained explosions in September 2022 that damaged three of the four undersea pipelines.
Rather than answer questions in person, Schröder said in a letter leaked this week that he was too ill to attend the inquiry – at least until the end of the year.
Instead of personal testimony he sent the parliamentary investigation a four-page written overview of why he 'was and remains positive' towards the gas pipelines.
'During my time as chancellor it was always clear to me that Germany is an industrial country lacking raw materials, whose prosperity can only be increased and maintained if it is, and remains, competitive on global markets,' he wrote. 'This was always rational and of benefit for Germany and these decisions did not become wrong through the terrible war in Ukraine.'
The ex-chancellor signed off his letter by wishing the committee 'lots of success with its research into, and the free and fair assessment of, the historical truth'.
While the inquiry has no powers to compel him to attend, several media investigations have exposed the magical thinking – and economical approach to the truth – that characterised many German political leaders' approach to Nord Stream.
Government files released to the Süddeutsche Zeitung daily, for instance, show just how deeply
Angela Merkel
was involved in the geopolitics of – and EU lobbying for – the second, Nord Stream 2, project.
This despite her mantrathat the pipeline – majority controlled by Gazprom with involvement of energy companies Shell, Eon and others – was a private, commercial endeavour.
Files show how Merkel chancellery officials worked steadily and silently to smooth Nord Stream 2's political path, against considerable political opposition from the European Commission and Germany's eastern neighbours.
Throughout the Nord Stream files, the Süddeutsche Zeitung reports, are handwritten remarks and questions by Merkel in green chancellor ink.
The chancellery's interest in pursuing the project remained considerable and consistent even after Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in March 2014.
In July 2015, as Nord Stream 2 began to take shape, officials told Merkel the project 'is to be welcomed, from both a German and Europe perspective'.
'From a position of energy policy, Germany cannot afford to take a position against Nord Stream [2],' the officials wrote.
Merkel was informed of – and apparently backed – efforts by German officials in Brussels to prevent greater involvement of the European Commission.
The commission took a critical stance on the bilateral project after taking on board concerns of Poland and Ukraine. In particular they argued that all such pipelines gave Moscow even greater leverage to meets its western European energy contractual requirements while opening potential to use energy as a weapon by throttling deliveries in the east.
Chancellery officials warned Merkel that it was crucial to quell growing dissent, but that being too obvious about it 'could be interpreted as intervention for Nord Stream' – with the real risk of political blowback for Merkel and her claim not to be involved.
In a handwritten note from January 25th, 2018, she asked officials to 'put together the requested material' on finding allies to work together on tackling the commission.
Rather than openly oppose the commission, chancellery officials decided on a strategy of 'critical questioning ... to avoid possible political damage from an early, public rejection'.
Merkel was also involved in granting the state guarantee sought by the Nord Stream 2 consortium in 2018. Rather than appear to be handing Putin a multibillion gift in advance of talks, she backed a plan to postpone political assessment of the guarantee application until after their meeting.
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As NordStream operator fights legal action in Europe, speculation of US-Russian pipeline partnership grows
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Asked how her hands-on Nord Stream approach, indicated by the traces of green ink in the files, tallies with her hands-off narrative, Merkel's office replied that 'the files ... are in the chancellery, please direct your questions to the chancellery'.
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The Irish Sun
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The Irish Sun
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Inside the sex-crazed world of Russian oligarchs with brutalised OnlyFans model, infamous sex coach & Kremlin mistresses
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The dictator himself has been embroiled in sex scandals - allegedly sharing two children with his Advertisement read more news Another source said Putin's secret £1billion palace on the Black Sea was The Kremlin insider added: "Many of Putin's circle - men in their 60s and 70s, like him - have young lovers, sometimes several. "It's not like the West here. Their private lives are hidden from the world and the lurid details never - or seldom - appear." But the private life of some Russian oligarchs is much darker than merely having a mistress - with reports emerging of extreme, sordid sex events that had Advertisement Most read in The US Sun Exclusive Infamous "Porta Potty" parties involve rich men paying large sums to play out their fantasies in real life - including vile sex acts such as defecation. A Russian woman who has taken part in such events in Dubai revealed they were also rife in Moscow. While she was in Dubai, she said the sick acts involved "old grandpas". The woman added: "They paid decently for it." Advertisement And she revealed how "people ask for such things in Moscow too". Women create online profiles and declare that they agree to certain extremities - attracting deep-pocketed clients. The Russian woman added: "There is demand - clients like this kind of thing... here you can do whatever you want. "Why do they like it? I don't know. Well, they are like that and that's it." Advertisement It comes after Ukrainian OnlyFans model M aria Kovalchuk, 20, was allegedly chased and tortured by rich Russians at a party in Dubai. After missing her flight to Thailand, Maria said she was offered a place to stay by a 19-year-old man she had recently met at a karaoke bar. 13 OnlyFans model Maria Kovalchuk, pictured in Norway with her mother Anna Credit: East2West 13 She went missing before being found with a broken spine at a construction site Credit: East2West Advertisement 13 Maria had to have her scalp sewn back on with horrific medical images showing a huge scar on the top of her head Credit: East2West He claimed his father could fly her out on a private jet. But then the man and his friends tortured her instead, the model claimed. The traumatised model described how the group began smashing bottles and glass on the floor, making her unable to walk barefoot, and said they took her passport and belongings. Advertisement She claims the men 'hinted' they wanted sex - and when she refused, the situation escalated - with their aggression "heating them up". 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Advertisement In Russia, a YouTube "seduction" coach with links to one of Putin's close oligarchs is facing investigation after he urged viewers to grab women in the street by their buttocks and offer them sex. Alexander Kirillov, also known as Alex Lesley, is being investigated on suspicion of inducement to rape. The so-called "advice" he gave openly on his channel led to a number of complaints from women claiming they have been horrifically harassed by his followers. Some claimed the vile encounters were filmed by accomplices as the men groped them and asked for sex. Advertisement 13 Alexander Kirillov, a self-styled sex guru, is being investigated Credit: East2West 13 Kirillov previously made headlines for being embroiled in a political scandal Credit: East2West 13 Kirillov was detained in 2018 alongside Anastasia Vashukevich in Thailand after they hosted illegal 'sex training' classes 13 Vashukevich claimed Russian oligarch and Putin pal Oleg Deripaska (L) was once part of a conspiracy to help Trump win the 2016 election Credit: Getty Advertisement His account has nearly 100,000 subscribers. Kirillov previously made headlines for being embroiled in a political scandal involving Belarusian escort Anastasia Vashukevich, 35, and Russian energy tycoon It came to light after Vashukevich claimed to have evidence that Deripaska and Russia's deputy prime minister were part of a Kremlin conspiracy to skew the 2016 presidential election in favour of Donald Trump. Both Deripaska and Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Prikhodko denied wrongdoing. Advertisement Following her claims, Vashukevich, known online as Nastya Rybka, was arrested. At the time of her detention she was in Thailand, where she had been running a They spent nine months in custody - before a Thai court handed them a suspended 18-month sentence for soliciting and running an illegal "sex training course". Advertisement The controversy with Kirillov came to light in June when at least 10 young women went public saying they had being groped by his vile fans in Moscow. Russian MPs then complained to authorities before the Investigative Committee opened a case against him. They said he had 'induced his followers to commit illegal acts of a sexual character towards female residents of the capital'. Twisted Kirillov told local media: "If we lived in America or Germany, God forbid, then it could result in serious consequences. Thankfully, we are in Russia." Advertisement Kremlin 'mistresses' Closer to the Kremlin, one of mad Vlad's officials was reportedly flying his 23-year-old mistress around on $100million military jets. Maria Shalaeva claimed she was jetted on a defence ministry Ilyushin-76 aircraft for a getaway to Rostov-on-Don - the same location of Russian armed forces war headquarters. Local media reported 13 Maria Shalaeva boasted about taking an armed forces plane to the closed airport in Rostov-on-Don for a weekend getaway Credit: East2West Advertisement 13 Shalaeva posing in the back of an army plane 13 Shalaeva says her lover is a 'Kremlin man' Credit: East2West His photograph appeared on a video she posted. It is also clear from one video that her lover has grey hair - as does Belousov - who was a Kremlin apparatchik before becoming defence minister. Advertisement There are also indications that her man - apparently seen in shorts on the plane - could be younger than Belousov. Whether the affair is Belousov or another senior official figure in the Russian power structure, the disclosure reportedly triggered fury over what is seen as a security breach. Military sources indicated that the Kremlin 'sugar daddy' had been visited at work by the secret services after the mistress's revelations. Shalaeva, from Yekaterinburg, said her lover is 'a Kremlin man, though, that's another story. Reliability level is 200%.' Advertisement She admits to bringing her three-year-old son Tim on the trip - sparking speculation that it could be her lover's child. 'At three years old, he's already flown in a military aircraft,' she posted. Belousov, an economist and civilian technocrat, is not a career soldier and holds no formal military rank - but his authority In Rostov, Shalaeva, her son, and her mystery man were reportedly picked up by a "very expensive foreign car". Advertisement It was local media in Rostov that first flagged the scandal, without naming names. Russian outlets have so far avoided identifying the man. What are Porta Potty parties? PORTA potty parties are events, usually in the United Arab Emirates, where women are paid large amounts of money to sexually gratify wealthy men - in often highly degrading ways. It's thought that the women are sometimes duped into participating on false pretences - such as the promise of a modelling contract. At the events, men exploit the opportunity to commit depraved acts on the women. The name supposedly comes from the fact that the deeply disturbing acts can include men treating women as human toilets. Women, often from ex-Soviet countries, are lured in by the promise of a glamorous lifestyle and highly paid careers in the oil-rich states. An expert Recruiters often target attractive women with online presences, or even TV stars. Radha Stirling, founder and CEO of Detained in Dubai, told The Sun: "It's exploitation disguised as glamour or opportunity. Women, in particular, are offered all sorts of opportunities in Dubai. "They might be offered to come and model, to come and play music, or to expand their career in some way or another. "But what they don't realise is that when they get there, they are essentially at the beck and call of whoever has brought them there. "They're under their complete control, and they put themselves in such a risky position where they could end up gang raped, they could end up drugged, they could end up dead."
