Nord Stream pipeline to be suspended if Russia escalates in Ukraine, Germany warns
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The Nord pipeline 2 has backing of Russian President Vladimir Putin and was initially supported by Germany’s previous Chancellor Angela Merkel in the past few years
Berlin has warned Russia that any increase in tensions in Ukraine can have a direct impact on the much-awaited Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline plan.
Germany's new Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, on Saturday, said that that Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will not be allowed to operate at all if there is any kind of new escalation in Ukraine. "In the event of further escalation this gas pipeline could not come into service," Baerbock told German television station ZDF.
Her warning came a little after the new Chancellor Olaf Scholz had also lent support to Ukraine in this situation. "It would be a serious mistake to believe that violating the borders of a European country would remain without consequences," he had warned.
"We will also help Ukraine be a country that will be a major source of renewable energy and the necessary production that results from that. We are in concrete talks around how we can help achieve that," Scholz said.
Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, has also urged Germany to suspend the pipeline project. Morawiecki believes that Russia can use this project to later ‘blackmail’ Europe. "It would be better not to allow the opening of Nord Stream 2," Morawiecki said. "I drew the chancellor's attention to the risks linked to the opening of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and sadly the extent to which... these risks for Ukraine could get considerably worse."
The Nord pipeline 2 has backing of Russian President Vladimir Putin and was initially supported by Germany’s previous Chancellor Angela Merkel in the past few years.
Recently, several other western countries warned Germany for being ‘too dependent’ upon Russia. However, Berlin has made sure the country makes it clear that Germany will “do anything” to make sure that Ukraine is not bullied out of being a transit country for Russian gas exports in Europe.