Berlin Rejected the U.S. Criticism of the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Project

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Thursday rejected the US criticism of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project. “Matters related to the European energy policy must be decided upon in Europe, not in the United States”, Maas said during a reception organized by the German Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations. According to him, Berlin is serious about the criticism of the draft from Washington, but at the same time, North Stream 2 is not a “Russian-German special way”. The head of German diplomacy believes that Imposing unilateral sanctions against Nord Stream 2 is “a wrong path” anyway. “If German and European companies are ousted from the project, there will be no one left who would insist on preserving the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine”, said Maas. Speaking of Russia, he called relations with it "the main component of European Eastern politics". “Conflict resolution without Russia is impossible”, the minister continued. In turn, the Chairman of the Eastern Committee, Wolfgang Büchele, noted that the supply of Russian gas through Germany to Europe will ensure stable prices for this energy carrier after gas production in the Netherlands has ceased. On December 11, the House of Representatives of the US Congress approved a resolution expressing a protest against the construction of the Nord Stream 2, and also supported the imposition of sanctions to counter this project - in particular, against European companies involved in its implementation. The document is not binding. Source: korrespondent