Bundestag deputy Alexander Lambsdorf rejected the possibility of pressure on Russia by the threat of stopping the Nord Stream 2 project in the event of an “invasion” of Ukraine. According to the Oldenburger Onlinezeitung, the parliamentarian said this in an interview with the media group Funke.
According to him, in this situation, negotiations are a suitable way “to prevent the intensification of Russian pressure on its neighbors.”
“The measures that can be taken in the event of aggression can also be clearly laid out behind closed doors,” Lambsdorf said.
On December 7, the Elysee Palace announced that the leaders of Great Britain, Italy, the United States, France and Germany discussed relations between Russia and Ukraine. The politicians called for the resumption of negotiations in the Normandy format.
It was also clarified that the leaders of the countries called for respect for the sovereignty of Ukraine, and also “expressed their commitment to work for the benefit of peace and security in Europe.”
On December 5, the chairman of the European People’s Party (EVP) faction in the European Parliament, co-chairman of the Christian Social Union (CSU) of Bavaria, Manfred Weber, called on the future German government to close the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project in the event of Russian aggression against Ukraine.
According to him, it is necessary that the course of the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO) made it clear to Russia that “actions against Ukraine will be costly.”
Weber stressed that if the Russian Federation “uses weapons, then the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is over.” The German government will have to make this clear, he said.
In turn, the head of the Munich Security Conference Wolfgang Ischinger said on December 5 that it was no longer possible to stop Nord Stream 2 – it was “too late”. However, as the expert emphasized, for Germany the project remains a bone of contention both in relations with Ukraine and the United States.
In his opinion, stopping the project by the German side could ease the situation for US President Joe Biden, but it is pointless to do this right now. In addition, Ischinger noted, for Germany, which has abandoned nuclear power plants and, moreover, intends to stop using coal by 2030, the need will not decrease in the medium term.
On December 6, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov noted that in Moscow they see “numerous ducks” about the allegedly planned “aggression”, but they do not hear a single word about Kiev. Taken together with the overall difficult background of Russian-American relations, this is “a rather complex substance for discussion.”
On December 7, an online summit of the Russian Federation and the United States will take place. Presidents Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden will discuss Ukraine, NATO’s eastward expansion and the international agenda. The talks will take place against the backdrop of numerous media reports about the allegedly impending Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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.
