Germany should have had a cooling off period in place ... I have no qualm for Europeans on the board of business enterprises in Russia, from the moment of clear risk of a military intervention, he should have stepped down

Nord Stream 2 was a joint business venture between Dutch Gasunie, Russian Gazprom and a German consortium. Nothing illegal or against EU principles, on the contrary. Close cooperation works both ways, Russia has been under unilateral U.S. sanctions for more than a decade.

'Sapere aude'

The rhetoric around the Sochi Winter Games was another pivot to harass Putin and Russia by the West.

Ahh ... even Abu Dhabi had joined the fossil fuel investment fun ...

TAQA and Gazprom export sign MoU to partner on Dutch Bergermeer gas storage | Dec. 2008 |

The EU's core tasks

The Dutch government believes that the EU should limit itself to areas in which it adds value, such as security, or climate and the environment. Matters like pensions, taxes, culture, education and health care should be the domain of the member states themselves. There is no need for EU legislation in these areas.

Related reading ...

Lifting the Lid On Lobbying Enhancing Trust In Public Decision-Making In The Netherlands

'Sapere aude'