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Merkel does not rule out sanctions on Nord Stream 2
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The Navalny case further marred relations between Germany and Russia
The case of the poisoned Kremlin critic Navalny is increasingly turning into a foreign policy crisis. Russia accuses Germany of delaying the investigation. Foreign Minister Maas has dismissed this as “another smoke candle” from Moscow.
The federal government is discussing possible reactions to the poison attack on Alexej Navalny. Chancellor Angela Merkel does not rule out that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea could be affected.
AAccording to government spokesman Steffen Seibert, Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) no longer rules out the possibility that the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea gas pipeline will be affected by possible sanctions against Russia. “The chancellor agrees with the statements made by the foreign minister over the weekend,” Seibert said in Berlin on Monday in view of possible EU reactions to the poison attack on Russian opponent Alexej Navalny.
It’s wrong to exclude an item from the discussion, Seibert said. At the same time, he stressed that it was too early to make a statement on sanctions. The Russian government is expected to explain in advance the motives for the poison attack. However, this cannot be expected in a few days. Furthermore, the EU had provided a legal basis for Nord Stream 2, which was a European project and not a German one.
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) said at the weekend: “I don’t expect the Russians to force us to change our stance on Nord Stream 2.” Russia denies being involved in the poisoning of the opposition.
Maas increases pressure on Russia
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas is increasing pressure on Russia to help solve the poisoning of Russian Kremlin critic Alexej Navalny. And it addresses an issue the federal government has avoided so far.
The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is being built across the Baltic Sea and is intended to transport natural gas from Russia to Germany. It is debated whether the project should be halted or suspended in response to the Navalny poisoning.
Due to the Navalny poisoning, the Kremlin does not expect a construction freeze at Nord Stream 2. When asked if he sees any risk that construction is not finished, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov responded on Monday in Moscow: “Not”. Moscow had always emphasized in the past that the gas pipeline from Russia to Germany is an economic project and not a political one.
Peskov told the Interfax agency that the stop of Nord Stream 2 would increase the economic pressure on Moscow to investigate the Navalny case: “We are following such statements and we find that each new statement is answered with two others, the These proposals demonstrate the absurdity.” Work on the pipeline had stopped for the last few meters due to US sanctions.
According to investigations in a special Bundeswehr laboratory, the federal government considers that it is unequivocally proven that Navalny was poisoned with a neurotoxin from the Novitschok group. The opposition politician fell into a coma on a flight in Russia on August 20 and is currently being treated in Germany. Moscow denies being involved in the case.
