Gas supply and supply of tanks: Prague turns to Berlin
Landlocked and looking to diversify its sources of supply, the Czech Republic wants a stake in a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Lubmin, on the Baltic coast. Recently commissioned by Olaf Scholz, this terminal, a strategic distribution hub in the gas infrastructure, is the first such terminal to be privately financed. This should serve to strengthen Germany’s energy independence, but also in the long term, as Petr Fiala envisions, the Czech Republic’s:
“The Czech Republic really has a strategic interest in using the potential of German terminals, and I am thinking of the Lubmin terminal in particular. Its position is advantageous for us, because Lubmin is connected to the energy infrastructure of the Czech Republic. Therefore, we are ready to participate in the operation of this terminal and are interested in obtaining a significant share. Today we agreed with the chancellor that from next winter gas can be transported from Lubmin to the Czech Republic. »
For the Czech Republic, which before the war received all its gas supplies from Russia, the goal is to get rid of this dependence once and for all. Prague has already turned to the likes of Qatar and Algeria, but proximity to Germany is clearly an important factor, while the Lubmin terminal will supply Germany with more than five billion cubic meters of gas per year.
Along with energy supply, defense and security, Petr Fiala and Olaf Scholz demonstrated that European solidarity is not an empty word. In this regard, the Czech Army needs the Leopard 2 tank to replace the tanks sent to Ukraine, so that it can provide its own defense when needed. According to Petr Fial, there are also almost no scams on the Prague-Berlin line:
“The situation for the Czech Republic is this: we have sent our T-72 tanks to Ukraine and that is why we want to reach an agreement with Germany so that we can guarantee the capability of our army. This is a concrete example of cooperation: we help Ukraine, and Germany helps us compensate for the loss of equipment. »
Germany, like the Czech Republic, Poland and the Baltic states, has been one of the countries in the region to show the greatest solidarity with Ukraine, but Germany has somewhat tarnished its image as a European leader in recent weeks. Leopard 2 battle tanks.
This Wednesday, Berlin finally officially gave the green light to allied countries to deliver these world-renowned German-designed armored vehicles to Ukraine, while also announcing the first delivery of fourteen of its own tanks to Kiev. Before this much-anticipated announcement, Petr Fiala had already stated that he was confident about the outcome of the negotiations:
“This is not about putting pressure on Germany. I follow the internal German debate closely and I know that it is sometimes difficult to deal with some things from the past. I am sure that in the end a good solution will be found and Ukraine will receive the necessary equipment, including tanks. »
Finally, in terms of overall defense, it confirmed to Petr Fiala, on his third visit to Berlin since last May, that the Czech Republic is still interested in creating a European anti-missile umbrella. This is the project that Chancellor Scholz mentioned during his landmark visit to Prague last August. Fourteen countries have so far joined Germany’s proposal, including the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
