The undersea pipeline will cost three times as much as a new pipeline along existing land routes, undermines the energy security of Germany’s eastern neighbors, and threatens the Baltic Sea’s fragile ecosystem. But, by delivering exports directly to Germany, Russia will be able to cut off gas to Ukraine, Poland, and the Baltic states without directly affecting West European supplies – and Russia’s recent behavior indicates that this is a real threat.
分化瓦解的最好例子就是Nord Stream天然气管道的问题，它使德国感到满意，而使波兰和波罗的海国家感到愤怒。这条海底管道的耗资将是在现有的陆地线路上铺设一条新的管道的三倍，损害了德国东部邻国的能源安全，同时会威胁波罗的海脆弱的生态系统。但是，通过将天然气直接输入到德国，俄罗斯将可以切断对乌克兰、波兰和波罗的海国家的天然气供应而不会直接影响对西欧国家的供应。俄罗斯最近的行为表明这是一个真正的威胁。