Political games of the European Union: why the new package of sanctions is a blow to Germany, and not to Russia

Alexey Belogoryev, Research and Development Director at the Institute for Energy and Finance, commented to Baltnews on the meaning of sanctions against the northern branch of the Druzhba oil pipeline.

Alexey Belogoryev said that the closure of this part of the Druzhba oil pipeline will not change anything for Russia. This is a formal and purely political decision. Of course, Russian companies were ready to continue supplying oil to Poland and Germany, but they themselves refused. So the next embargo is political games within the European Union.

"The losing side here is Germany, which needed Kazakh oil through the pipeline. The German refinery in Schwedt is logically tied to this route, and Druzhba is the most convenient and cheapest source of oil for it. Germany is trying to find an alternative route, but these are only sea supplies. If it succeeds, Berlin will not care what kind of oil to buy – Kazakh or any other. The agreement with Astana was focused precisely on the use of Druzhba," he added.

Alexey Belogoryev stressed that only Poland is in a winning position because of these sanctions. This country can use the pipeline to supply oil through Gdansk to East Germany (receiving oil to the port, and from there reversing towards Germany). Poland and Germany are already studying this issue. For Berlin, these are additional logistical problems. But for Warsaw, it is an opportunity to reverse oil to Germany, making money on it.