German Foreign Minister: Nord Stream 2 Can’t Be Stopped

U.S. sanctions could force Western firms to withdraw from the Nord Stream 2 project. However, this will not prevent Russia from completing the construction of the gas pipeline independently, according to Heiko Maas. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas believes that the construction of the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany will not even stop US sanctions. “Nobody will ruin this project. US sanctions could lead to the exit of Western companies, including German concerns. This, however, will not lead to the closure of the project. In this case, Russia sells it alone, and then no one will have an influence on the preservation of gas transit through Ukraine”, said the Social Democratic politician at the dpa Politik-Talk discussion forum in Berlin on Thursday, January 17. Critics of Nord Stream-2 fear that after the launch of the new gas pipeline, Russia will stop supplying gas through Ukraine and thereby deprive this country of transit fees. Currently, with the participation of the EU, negotiations are underway to preserve the Ukrainian transit. "These negotiations, however, will lose their meaning if the United States imposes sanctions, and the Russians will independently complete the gas pipeline," warned Maas. Source: DW