Germans are outraged at having to pay for gas transit through Ukraine.
The German magazine Der Spiegel published an article about Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline being ready to go into operation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that the pipeline is ready for operation. Gazprom head Alexei Miller stated that the first and second pipeline sections are undergoing operational testing and are fully ready for use.
What was the user reaction like?
The document states that Russia is allegedly "increasing pressure" on Germany. The publication also reiterates the negative attitude towards the project from the United States and Ukraine, as these two countries fear losing revenue from the transit of Russian gas.
The publication drew attention to the reaction from German readers in the comments:
One user wrote: “I can no longer hear the media and politicians complaining about Ukraine’s billions of dollars in losses. German consumers are paying the entire burden of subsidizing the Ukrainian state budget with gas prices and partly with electricity prices.”
 |
| Natural gas is a vibrant market in Europe. (Illustrative image) |
"Why should we be responsible for the increase in transit fees for Ukraine when there is a much cheaper transport route?", another user questioned. Other commenters supported this stance.
Meanwhile, former US President's national security advisor John Bolton suggested that Russia should liquidate its overseas military bases, or immediately cancel Nord Stream 2.
