Scholz answered the question about possible sanctions against Nord Stream 2

Onshore facilities of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in Lubmin, GermanyBERLIN, Feb 6Germany does not rule out any options for sanctions against Russia in the event of an escalation of the situation around Ukraine, including through the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said. «We have very specific preparations with allies in the EU, in the United States, we are in close contact on the possible sanctions that we can take. It will be very extensive, very tough sanctions, if necessary. But our current aspirations are aimed at preventing events from developing when they are needed,» Scholz told ARD TV channel before visit to the USA.NATO plans to build a gas pipeline between Spain and Germany, media reported, adding that possible sanctions would have a high price. «There is nothing that would be ruled out. This must be clearly understood. And of course, Russia also knows that it can imagine what could happen (in the event of an escalation),» Scholz said when asked about the fate of Nord Stream 2 The Russian Federation has repeatedly stated that Nord Stream 2, which is actively opposed by the United States, which promotes its liquefied natural gas to the EU, as well as Ukraine, which is afraid of losing transit, is commercially beneficial to Europe and urged to stop mentioning it in the context of any politicization . Moscow has also stated that it intends to continue transiting gas through Ukraine. Plans attributed to Russia to escalate the situation around Ukraine are categorically denied in Moscow and constantly state that no one is threatened, and all such statements are used as an excuse to place more NATO military equipment near Russian borders. According to Moscow, the Russian Federation is moving troops within the territory and at its own discretion, this does not threaten anyone and should not worry anyone. As Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pointed out, Russia does not create any pretexts for a conflict situation around Ukraine. According to him, Russia does not rule out that the hysteria around Ukraine, hyped by the West, is aimed at covering Kiev's line of sabotaging the Minsk agreements on Donbass. According to the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov, the US and NATO information hysteria over Ukraine is generously framed by lies and fakes. The Russian Federation stated that the United States and the West are hysterically developing the topic of threat and escalation in Ukraine.Putin explained what could start a war between Russia and NATOThe construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline lasted three years and was completed on September 10, 2021. Now both lines are filled with technical gas, Nord Stream 2 is ready for commissioning. However, Germany has suspended the process of certifying Nord Stream 2 AG as an operator in order for the company to reorganize in accordance with the laws of the country. It was necessary to create a subsidiary in Germany and submit a new application for certification already on its behalf. In mid-December 2021, the head of the regulator — the German Federal Network Agency (BNA) — Jochen Homann said that he expected a decision on Nord Stream 2 no earlier than the beginning of the second half of 2022. At the end of January, it became known that Gazprom had complied with the regulator's requirement Germany. Nord Stream 2 AG has established a subsidiary, Gas for Europe GmbH, in this country for certification under German law, which will become the owner and operator of the 54-kilometer section of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in German waters. Gas for Europe GmbH is headquartered in Schwerin. As the press service of the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) told RIA Novosti, the certification of the operator of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline section will resume after the completion of the transfer of the main assets of the German subsidiary and verification of the completeness of the documentation, while they found it difficult to name the exact dates.Who can provoke a war in Ukraine