Zeit: two employees of the German Ministry of Economy were suspected of having links with Russia

Two high-ranking officials in the German Ministry of Economy and Climate Protection are under suspicion of espionage, their case is being handled by the Federal Office for the Protection of the German Constitution (BfV). About it informs newspaper Die Zeit, citing sources.

According to the publication, in the spring, confidants of the head of the ministry, Robert Habek, while studying internal documents, encountered inconsistencies that related to Nord Stream 2, the filling of gas storage facilities, as well as a report on the security of supply to Germany.

According to them, the arguments in these documents often did not correspond to the official position of the government and reflected the Russian point of view. In particular, this concerned Nord Stream 2, which Khabek opposes.

After identifying “inconsistencies”, Habek’s trustees turned to BfV. The department studied the biography of two officials who were under suspicion, and found some “features” in it. For example, one of them spent some time studying in Russia. At the same time, the newspaper emphasizes that BfV has no concrete evidence that officials worked for Russia.

Die Zeit suggests that the investigation could turn into a political scandal that will affect Habek. If the information about spying for Russia is not confirmed, then the minister could be accused of trying to silence his critics within his department. The Economy Ministry declined to comment.

Nord Stream 2 was ready for launch as early as September 2021. However, in February 2022, after Russia recognized the independence of the LPR and DPR, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz suspended the certification of the gas pipeline.

Germany believes that the operation of Nord Stream 2 will mean that Russia has managed to overcome the sanctions. Habek said that the start of the gas pipeline would be “a defeat for Germany and Europe.”

However, some politicians take a different view. The head of the Bundestag committee on energy and climate issues, Klaus Ernst, believes that it makes no difference through which pipe the gas is delivered, since “it remains Russian anyway.” Also, the launch of Nord Stream 2 is supported by former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. He believes that this will be the simplest solution to the problem of energy shortages in Germany.

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