The historic Reichstag building in the center of Berlin. Archival photoMOSCOW, 17 Jan. A split arose in the German government over the issue of the launch of Nord Stream 2. Guy Chazan, a columnist for the British Financial Times, writes about this. According to the columnist, the gas pipeline has already driven a wedge between Berlin and Washington, and now, against the backdrop of the Ukrainian problem, it has become a bone of contention within Germany itself. Opponents of the project in the country's leadership believe that it will increase Europe's dependence on Russian energy. The centre-left was largely in favor of the launch of the gas pipeline, while the Greens were against it.Russia will comply with all norms on Nord Stream 2, said the Ministry of Foreign AffairsSocial Democrats, who traditionally advocate friendly relations with Moscow, point out how important Russian gas is for German industry. State Chancellor Olaf Scholz from the SPD party refused to publicly approve sanctions against Nord Stream 2. German Foreign Minister from the Greens Annalena Berbock insists that the pipeline should not be launched in the event of an escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, and Defense Minister Christina Lambrecht urged not to link these two questions with each other.
"Disagreements weaken Germany and the European Union. We see that Berlin does not have a consolidated position and is still trying to find an approach towards Moscow", said Stefan Meister, an expert on Eastern Europe.
Nord Stream 2 is a ready-to-operate pipeline with a capacity of 55 billion cubic meters per year, laid from the Russian coast through the Baltic Sea to Germany. To launch it, you need to complete the certification procedure for Nord Stream 2 AG as an operator. In accordance with European legislation, it must create a German «daughter» and submit an application on its behalf. Then the Federal Network Agency of Germany will make a decision, according to which the European Commission will express its opinion. The process was suspended under the influence of the United States, which wants to use Nord Stream 2 as a lever of pressure on Russia in the aggravated situation around Ukraine. Moscow urges not to politicize the project, emphasizing that it is purely commercial in nature. Western media have recently begun to publish more and more reports that Russia is preparing an «offensive» against Kiev. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied these accusations and noted that such publications are used to pull the forces of the North Atlantic Alliance to the Russian borders. Bulgarians told the West about the consequences of the war with Russia