Germany urged to dismantle Nord Stream 2

Representatives of the Free Democratic Party in Germany demanded the dismantling of Nord Stream 2. This was reported by the DPA agency with reference to an internal document of the Bundestag faction.

“As free democrats, we demand the dismantling of Nord Stream 2, as well as the speedy development of the concept of legal, technical and environmental guarantees,” the document says.

The party called for an end to energy purchases from Russia and Belarus as soon as possible, as far as Germany’s economic capabilities allow.

German liberals also stressed that Nord Stream 2 was originally “the Kremlin’s project to isolate Ukraine.” “That is why the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline caused significant discontent and led to the diplomatic isolation of Germany,” the document says.

Nord Stream 2 was ready for launch as early as September 2021. However, in February 2022, after Russia recognized the independence of the LPR and DPR, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz suspended the certification of the gas pipeline.

Germany believes that the operation of Nord Stream 2 will mean that Russia has managed to overcome the sanctions. Habek said that the start of the gas pipeline would be “a defeat for Germany and Europe.”

However, some politicians take a different view. The head of the Bundestag committee on energy and climate issues, Klaus Ernst, believes that it makes no difference through which pipe the gas is delivered, since “it remains Russian anyway.” Also, the launch of Nord Stream 2 is supported by former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. He believes that this will be the simplest solution to the problem of energy shortages in Germany.

At the end of August, another scandal erupted around the gas pipeline. Newspaper Die Zeit reportedthat the Federal Office for the Protection of the German Constitution suspected two high-ranking officials in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Protection of Germany of espionage. It is clarified that in the internal documents of the department they found inconsistencies that relate to Nord Stream 2. According to the newspaper, the arguments in the papers reflected the Russian position, and not the official point of view of the German authorities.

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