German Chancellor Scholz did not give a direct answer to the question about sanctions against Nord Stream 2
Photo: Sergey Guneev / RIA Novosti
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, at a press conference following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, avoided a direct answer to the question of the possibility of imposing sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. The press conference was broadcast on RBC's YouTube channel.
“Everyone knows what's going on. We are obliged to ensure the transit of gas to Europe – through Ukraine, Belarus and Poland, along the Nord Stream-1 (…) We want the situation in Europe to develop peacefully so that things do not come to a military conflict in Ukraine. If it comes to this, it will have massive consequences – we are all clear about this. In any case, we know what to do in this case, ”said Scholz.
According to him, the main task now is to avoid armed conflict, and “not to point fingers at each other.”
Earlier, the President of Russia said that there was no “political connotation” in the project for the construction of the Nord Stream 2 export gas pipeline. Putin stressed that the completion of construction and the start of operation of the gas pipeline is designed to strengthen energy security in Europe.
On February 9, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov expressed the opinion that the statements of Washington and Berlin about the possible imposition of sanctions against Nord Stream 2 in the event of Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a political circus tent. The diplomat noted that the project had become a means of putting pressure on Moscow. Among those who use Nord Stream 2 for their own purposes, Ryabkov named the United States and “some figures” outside this country.
Currently, the German regulator is carrying out the certification procedure for Nord Stream 2, which was completed last year. The operation of the gas pipeline was supposed to begin in 2020, but due to the imposition of US sanctions on project participants, its completion was postponed several times.
