Germany bypasses US sanctions and promises completion of Nord Stream 2
Despite Washington’s opposition and threats, the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will be completed.
The head of the Bundestag Energy Committee, Klaus Ernst, stated this in an interview with Izvestia, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“I am confident that the project will be completed, even despite US sanctions. I would like to mention that in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern a special fund was recently created, the purpose of which is to help German companies circumvent American sanctions. And even if some partners are now withdrawing from the deal, as seen in the withdrawal from certification body DNV GL, I think there are alternative ways to complete the pipeline. This process should start next week, and this gives great hope,” Ernst said.
The publication also asked whether the implementation of the project is threatened more by US sanctions or escalation between the Russian Federation and Germany due to the situation with Alexei Navalny.
“American sanctions directly threaten companies, which is extremely serious. Regarding the EU measures against Russia due to the situation with Alexei Navalny, in Germany a minority spoke in favor of ending economic cooperation with the Russian Federation because of this case. It is worth recalling that dissatisfaction with German-Russian gas cooperation arose during the Cold War. Even then, the United States wanted to prevent this cooperation. It would be absurd to stop it now,” the deputy said.
He also said that now both in Germany and Europe as a whole there is a debate about how to protect against US influence, which is not so much political as economic in nature.
“First of all, this is the rhetoric of German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who, for example, called the US actions unacceptable. Personally, I am in favor of tariffs on American shale gas, as well as measures against individual US citizens who made a special contribution to the imposition of sanctions. Europe must become more independent of the American monetary system,” Ernst concluded.
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