Relationship dossier
Germany
Russia
Relationship assessment
Energy partnership gave way to sustained confrontation after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Germany toward Russia
-60Germany supported economic and energy cooperation with Russia, including the Nord Stream 2 project. After Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Germany halted the pipeline’s certification, backed sanctions and provided military assistance to Ukraine.
Russia toward Germany
-65Russia maintained major energy links with Germany before sharply curtailing gas deliveries in 2022. Its invasion of Ukraine and subsequent confrontation with Germany over sanctions and support for Ukraine have severely strained government relations.
Overall relationship
-60The relationship combined substantial energy interdependence with political and commercial engagement, but Russia’s war against Ukraine dismantled much of that cooperative basis. Germany’s sanctions and support for Ukraine, together with the breakdown of Russian gas deliveries, now define a sustained adversarial relationship.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Germany and Russia developed substantial energy and commercial ties, including German support for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Russia’s war against Ukraine transformed the relationship: Germany supported sanctions, stopped Nord Stream 2’s certification and provided military assistance to Ukraine, while Russian gas deliveries to Germany were sharply curtailed. The relationship is now characterized by sustained confrontation alongside the legacy of earlier cooperation.
Areas of tension
- Germany’s sanctions on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine
- Germany’s military and financial support for Ukraine
- The suspension of Nord Stream 2 certification
- Russia’s curtailment of gas deliveries to Germany
Key developments
Germany suspended certification of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline following Russia’s recognition of separatist regions in eastern Ukraine.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine; Germany subsequently backed sanctions and increased support for Ukraine.
Russia halted Nord Stream 1 gas deliveries to Germany indefinitely.
Major uncertainties
- The long-term scope of any future energy and diplomatic engagement between the governments is unclear.
- The full extent and attribution of reported cyber and intelligence activities remain contested.