Russia And Germany: How Cozy Are These Enemies? Follow The Oil And Gas Money

"Wars come and go. Governments rise and fall. Enemies become partners. But somehow, the oil and gas money keeps flowing."   Russia and Germany: How Cozy Are These Enemies? Follow the money, oil, natural gas, underwater pipelines, and more than a century of economic cooperation between two countries often portrayed as bitter enemies.

From the 1922 Treaty of Rapallo and the 1939 Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact to German-Soviet oil trading, World War II, and the Cold War gas-for-pipes agreements of 1970, this episode traces the remarkable history of German-Russian business relationships. Despite devastating wars, political confrontations, and competing alliances, German banks, industrial companies, and Russian energy interests repeatedly found ways to work together.

We examine Deutsche Bank's financing of Soviet energy projects, Ronald Reagan's opposition to Soviet pipelines in 1982, and the development of Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 beneath the Baltic Sea. We also look at former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's relationship with Russia's Gazprom, the involvement of BASF, E.ON, Uniper, and Wintershall, and the billions invested in Russian-European energy infrastructure.

The story continues into October 2026, with reports of possible American-Russian economic negotiations involving energy investments and the future of Nord Stream. Could American financial interests eventually become involved in arrangements connecting Russian energy and Germany? Reported discussions are not completed agreements, but they raise important questions about sanctions, international politics, energy security, and the financial relationships behind the headlines.

We also follow an unexpected historical connection involving the Sassoon family, British India, the Ottoman Empire, the opium trade, Persian petroleum concessions, and the international financial networks that helped shape the early oil industry.

Finally, what happens beneath the sea? Who inspects underwater oil and gas pipelines, how are leaks detected, and what environmental risks do these enormous engineering projects pose to marine life in the Baltic Sea and elsewhere?

From German-Soviet cooperation before World War II to Nord Stream, Gazprom, Russian oil and gas, and potential American involvement in 2026, this episode follows the history, money, political relationships, and unanswered questions behind Germany and Russia's enduring energy connection.

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