Germany's east policy is always a determining element for Europe. It also has a trigger function in the changeover periods of the world politics. Ostpolitik is known as the policy for decreasing the efficiency of US in the country of Chancellor Willy Brandt. It also aims at normalizing the relations with the Warsaw Pact and Soviet Union in the late 1960s. There are 3 main elements of this policy:

1) Direct Relationship with Soviet Union.
2) Normalizing the relations with Warsaw Pact.
3) Signing a temporary argument with Eastern Germany without recognizing it as a separate element.

Affects of this policy decreased by time and its collapsed with the destruction of the Berlin Wall. Since the year 2000, Social Democratic Party of Germany has started to revive Ostpolitik. This is a new step for a geopolitical alliance separated from western alliance which is welcomed by new Russian Leadership too. This slow and historical progress is growing up recently.

Roots of these efforts goes back to the Charles de Gaulle's visit to Soviet Union at which French-Soviet Alliance Treaty was signed in the 1944. This visit was also a result of French effort for gaining France's politically central location in Europe while they are putting a distance with US and UK or in other words the countries who are not likely to establish an alliance with USSR. Geopolitical interests have more importance than ideological difference for De Gaulle.

Common thing for Central Europe's efforts were they were suspicious for US and they are interpreted as contradictory for global interests of US. Russia was getting closer to the US while they are under the Boris Yeltsin administration and they got out of these discussions for a while. The close relations of Western Europe and Russia were created a huge relief in post - communist countries of Eastern and Central Europe. Russian policy started to build new close relationships with Western Europe especially with Germany and France while the Vladimir Putin has the power. This relationship proved itself while opposing the US and UK invasion of Iraq in the UN Security Council by these 3 countries' cooperation. Washington clearly defined this alliance as a contradictory movement for US global aims. In spite of US and Eastern-Central Europe governments' opposition, this alliance is growing. Putin used one of its most powerful cards to consolidate this alliance: natural gas exportation of Russia. Discussion which was carried on since the 1990s was ended with the directing Russian and Central Asian gas pipes to Western Europe. Russians are developed projects called Nord Stream and South Stream. Nord Stream will reach to Germany through Baltic Sea, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and it will pass around the Baltic Countries. South Stream will pass through Black Sea after Stream reaches to Bulgaria it will have 2 directions, one direction(northwestern route) will reach to Austria through Serbia, Hungary and Slovenia. Other direction(southwestern route) will reach to Italy through Greece and Adriatic. US is working for constructing another natural gas route called Nabucco which aims to build a pipeline through Turkmenistan. Goal of this project is to link the pipeline to Austria, Germany and Czech Republic through Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary. Natural gas supply of Turkmenistan is not enough to establish this project so Russia will expected to supply gas for Nabucco and this will reduce the geopolitical productivity of the project.

France is also working for different geopolitical movements as well as Germany. President of France Nicholas Sarkozy's call for establishing a mutual security zone between Europe and Russia can be counted as a concrete sign for it. Besides this, Sarkozy is seen as the most American friendly president of France by Washington since the 1945.

Fear of New Europeans

While the cooperation between Russia and Germany developing, criticisms against the project in the Baltic Region are developing too. Especially the countries which will be by passed by Nord Stream are showing reasons like environment, mines from Second World War, resurrection of Russian spying activities and sunk ships to create a regional public opposition against the Nord Stream. Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania are not only against to Nord Stream because of their loss of advantageous transit location but also they have historical conflicts with Russia and historical syndrome created by Germany-Russia cooperation is another reason for them to oppose this project.

Besides all these problems, the concept of German-Russian corporation means to a dangerous alarm for Baltic Countries. These countries which had passed the anniversary of Molotov - Ribbentrop Pact as mourn, also worrying about the Germany and Russia to get closer. Ostpolitik was established as the new east policy of Western Germany, in 1970s for to build close relations with Russia. Ostpolitik became the fear of new Europeans, by its rebirth in 2000s with the Putin-Schröder cooperation.

Worries of Europeans not only derived from Germany-Russia bilateral trade growth which became 4 times bigger in the last 10 years and investments are generally focused on strategic industries also Europe's energy dependence to Russia and Germany does not react about this issue. Merkel did not supported either Nabucco project nor establishing an European energy market. Merkel seems to be so much excited for Nord Stream project. Project which will operate according to German interests and which will harm the Baltic Republics, rise the historical fear again.

Economical crisis and political ambiguity in the Burgaz - Alexandropolis line left Greece with its fears alone. Tendency of delaying the pipeline project is increasing in the government party PASOK. Right winged opposition party is carrying a campaign for cancelling and putting a high level of pressure forward to this aim. In these conditions, Turkey is becoming crucial for South Stream project. Turkey is getting closer to Russia-Germany alliance because of the ambiguous Greece approach to the South Stream Project and Turkey is becoming advantageous for becoming an energy bridge.

German Army

Security strategy of Germany has a high level of importance at this point. Change of the constitution article in 1994 which indicates that the "Duty of German Army is to Protect Germany's borders" to "Germany can be defended anywhere on the world" has so much meaning today.

Bundeswehr was aiming to land 14000 troops in 5 different regions for oversea missions. German army was expected to undertake the military personnel or accomplishing missions through the supporting the main duties of the German Army. German Army is educating the Afghan Police force today and German Soldiers are at the key positions in the Balkan Missions. New strategy of the German Army is to push up the operability of the European Army. Besides this German Army seems to be ready for preventing a possible violence in the Baltic Region too.

It is understood that again geopolitical interests are more determining than ideological differences once again. Eastern and Central European countries expected to follow the same route in spite of their fear. This is a fact pushing itself as a historical truth. US has not so much to do for slowing down the cooperation between Germany and Russia.