I remember someone quoting Germany’s former Chancellor telling “the US just want to sell their dirty gas” obtained via fracking. After she left, R invasion triggered the US receiving substantial orders for LNG. And of military equipment. I am still awaiting for someone to calculate how much it tilted trade balance. And how farther it pushed the possibility for a sustainable development.
Realpolitik is a german word.
In particular figure 7 (2) shows imports of energy goods jump from roughly 30 Bn Euro to around 100 Bn of from 2021 to 2022. Falling to around 80 Bn in 2023. Compensated by other exports.
Figure 8 (3) shows natural gas imports falling by almost half in 2023.
Those are the facts. Stats are most certainly nuanced, as example haven’t checked which goods are excluded, but I have to adjust my layman level understanding of it.
1. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php...
2. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php...
3. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php...
AFAIK Germany's never ever backed down in one of those confrontations. Handel fine, good money for everyone, but the Wandel absolutely has to come on the other side.