The official representative of the European Commission (EC), Tim McPhee, said on February 22 in Brussels that the suspension of the certification of Nord Stream 2 (SP-2) would not affect gas supplies to European countries.
According to the politician, SP-2 does not affect the European Union (EU). For the project to have momentum, it must be commissioned, McPhee added.
“If Russia decides to restrict supplies, we are relatively safe – we have gas reserves, and in January we received record deliveries of liquefied natural gas from partner countries,” McPhee said during a press conference.
The head of the press service of the European Committee, Eric Mamer, added that the EU, from the position of the regulator, will evaluate Germany’s decision to suspend certification.
Earlier in the day, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer allowed the inclusion of SP-2 in the package of anti-Russian sanctions.
Prior to this, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the country’s Ministry of Economy had received an order to stop the certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline against the background of Russia’s recognition of the independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR). He noted that the reaction to Moscow’s actions would be united.
The intention to impose sanctions against Russia was announced on Tuesday by EU diplomat Josep Borrell and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. It is planned to discuss this issue at an extraordinary informal meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the EU countries. At the same time, the European Parliament noted Russia’s resistance to Western sanctions since 2014.
In turn, the Russian Foreign Ministry recalled that Western countries in any case and without reason impose anti-Russian sanctions, as they are accustomed to blaming the Russian side for everything. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pointed out that it was Kiev that actually refused to comply with the Minsk agreements.
The day before, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognizing the independence of the LPR and DPR, as well as agreements on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance, together with the heads of the republics Leonid Pasechnik and Denis Pushilin. According to the signed documents, the Russian Foreign Ministry should establish diplomatic relations, and the Defense Ministry should ensure the maintenance of peace in the republics.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky on February 21 noted that Ukraine is not afraid of anyone, does not owe anything to anyone and will not give anything back to anyone. Zelensky also said that he had initiated an emergency meeting of the Normandy Four summit.
The situation on the line of contact in Donbass escalated on February 17, 2022. The DPR and LPR reported heavy shelling by Ukrainian security forces, including with heavy weapons. The republics announced the mobilization, as well as the evacuation of citizens in the Russian Federation.
Since 2014, the Ukrainian authorities have been conducting a military operation against the inhabitants of Donbass, who refused to recognize the results of the coup d’état and the new government in Ukraine. At the same time, Kiev blames Moscow for the current situation. Russia has repeatedly stated that it is not a party to the intra-Ukrainian conflict. The issues of its settlement are being discussed in the Minsk and Normandy formats.
The construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline was completed on September 10. It was built from Russia to Germany along the bottom of the Baltic Sea for the purpose of direct gas supplies to Europe. On February 9, 2021, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov expressed concern that Western countries had turned the SP-2 gas pipeline into an instrument of pressure on Moscow. Russian Ambassador to Berlin Sergei Nechaev noted that the launch of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline should not be linked to any political aspects.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
