Germany's foreign policy is shaped by its geographic location. The country's position on the North European Plain and lack of natural boundaries has led Berlin to constantly seek influence over the region through political, economic and military means.
The fall of the Berlin Wall helped Germany feel more comfortable with its foreign policy imperatives, since the reunified country no longer felt threatened by Russia and was more free to pursue economic and political interests in the east. This led to stronger energy and business ties with Moscow; Germany now imports a third of its natural gas from Russia, and German companies have strong commercial and industrial investments in the country.
After the Cold War, Germany began supporting the inclusion of many Central and Eastern European countries in the European Union. Between 2004 and 2007, countries as varied as Estonia and Bulgaria joined the Continental bloc. In addition to opening new markets for German exports, the European Union's enlargement to the east allowed Berlin to build a prosperous buffer between Germany and Russia.
While Germany has been politically and economically influential in Ukraine, its reach expands deeper into the former Soviet Union. Berlin has taken a more active role in the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, which are all members of the European Union and NATO. Germany's already strong economic presence in the Baltic states — it is the largest trade partner for the three countries — appears to be spreading to the political and security realms as well.
Germany is in a unique geographic and political position, and its foreign policy will continue to be shaped by numerous forces, some of them contradictory. On the one hand, Germany wants to lift sanctions against Russia because of commercial interests and its strong economic ties with Moscow, but it cannot do this until lifting sanctions aligns with the security concerns of Central and Eastern European states. Berlin wants to increase its influence in the former Soviet periphery, limit the influence of external players such as the United States and challenge Russia's position, but it is not willing to be as aggressive with Russia as are other countries, such as the United States. Germany is also first and foremost interested in preserving the integrity and stability of the European Union and in maintaining its central role in the bloc. Finally, Germany's political elite are interested in avoiding engagements abroad, even if events like the Ukraine crisis have a direct impact on Europe and pull Germany in.
