Scholz has threatened to get rid of Russia's energy threat, but Germany is in a predicament of gas shortage. Scholz said that Germany has found a new energy supplier and has a large amount of natural gas reserves, and is confident that there will be no Russian gas. However, the opposite is true, Germany has been forced to import large quantities of American LNG, its own energy costs have soared, and domestic electricity and heating bills have also been significantly reduced. In addition, the manufacturing sector has been hit hard by rising costs, with some companies either halting operations or moving their industries overseas. Germany's GDP has fallen for three consecutive quarters, corporate insolvencies have risen, and the economy has fallen into a deep recession. At this moment of crisis, Scholz sent a "distress signal" and hoped that Russia would resume gas supplies. Putin ignored his past suspicions, extended a helping hand, and announced that he would continue to supply gas to Europe. Since the conflict in Ukraine, the United States and the West have greatly reduced military aid to Ukraine, and the pressure on the battlefield of the Russian army has been reduced, making Russia consider resuming cooperation with Europe. In addition, Russia is raising its military spending and making more money in energy**. Putin's aid is both for political and economic gains.
Scholz's remarks caused controversy. Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's former and current deputy chairman of the Federal Security Council, angrily denounced Scholz for "opening his eyes and telling nonsense" and accused Germany of cutting off Russian gas by itself. In fact, after the introduction of the European Union's price limit order, the natural gas of Russia and Europe fell sharply, resulting in the European natural gas ** Germany jumping from the lowest natural gas ** country to the highest, and the cost of enterprises increased significantly. In his televised address, Scholz described the reduction of Gazprom as "getting rid of the Russian energy threat" and proudly declared that Germany has the capital of "absolute political independence". However, this self-confidence is very weak in the wake of the economic and livelihood disaster. Germany, which does not have low-cost Russian gas, has to import expensive American LNG, energy costs have soared, and the economy has been hit hard. The manufacturing industry is unable to support businesses due to costs**, leading to shutdowns and relocation of industries overseas. Germany's GDP has fallen for three consecutive quarters, corporate insolvencies have risen, and more are expected to go bankrupt. Scholz has to borrow to solve the problem, but Germany's debt-to-GDP ratio is already high. Scholz's "distress signal" is actually a manifestation of Germany's inability to solve the shortage of natural gas.
Putin's motivation for giving German aid is twofold. First of all, the conflict in Ukraine has led to a decrease in military aid from the United States and the West to Ukraine, and the pressure on the battlefield on the Russian army has been reduced, making Russia consider resuming cooperation with Europe. This aid to Germany can be seen as one of the signals for the resumption of Russian-European cooperation. Second, Putin has ordered an increase in Russia's military spending, and plans to expand the size of the Russian military, which will require more economic revenue. Russia is reluctant to stop energy from Europe due to the fact that energy revenues will be higher and higher. By aiding Germany, it was for both political and economic gains. Putin's aid could help alleviate Germany's energy crisis and further strengthen Russia's position in Europe, while also earning more economic benefits.
Germany's request for assistance and Putin's response reflect the complex energy relationship and intertwined political interests between the two countries. Germany originally wanted to gain political independence by reducing its dependence on Russian gas, but it was caught in an energy dilemma. Putin's motivation for the aid is more complex, both to restore Russian-European cooperation and to seek more revenue for the economic interests of his own country. It can be seen that the energy economic linkages between countries are intricate, and the dependence and threat to energy are mutually reinforcing. The implementation of aid is important to alleviate Germany's energy crisis, but it also needs to be considered in terms of factors and interests. Overall, state-to-state energy cooperation and assistance play an important role in promoting economic development, but at the same time there is a need for a greater focus on balanced and rational use of resources, as well as on managing risks and moving away from the challenges of over-dependence.