Berlin / Moscow. Germany could consider halting the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline if Russia attacks Ukraine, Foreign Minister Olaf Scholz said on Monday as pressure from his government increases to take a more aggressive stance against the Kremlin.
Scholz met with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Berlin to discuss further steps after talks between Russia and Western states on the Kremlin’s deployment of troops along the Ukrainian border ended last week without progress.
The German chancellor has previously said he is open to approving sanctions in the event of a Russian attack, with all options on the table, which will include the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which runs and is built between Russia and Germany to bring more Russian gas to Western Europe.
Some observers say he is sending mixed signals by labeling the pipeline – which has already been built but not yet approved for operation – as a private commercial project that should not be subject to sanctions.
Its Social Democratic Party, the main partner in a three-way governing coalition, has historically been closer to Russia than other German parties, and Berlin is under pressure to find a way to bridge its energy gap as it leaves energy production behind. nuclear power plants to adopt greener technologies.
Opponents of Nord Stream 2 – including Ukraine and the United States – argue that it would make Europe too dependent on Russia for its energy supply.
In response to a question about the gas pipeline, Olaf Scholz told the media that “it is clear that there will be a high price to pay and that everything will have to be discussed in case there is a military intervention in Ukraine. “
The future of the project may ultimately be beyond Germany’s hands, as it is subject to approval by European Union regulators.
Options, on the table
The United States on Tuesday said Russia was preparing for a possible attack on Ukraine that could happen “at any moment” and warned that it was considering all options for a response.
“No option is off the table,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters, warning of an “extremely dangerous situation.”
“Now we are at a stage where Russia can launch an attack on Ukraine at any time,” he said.
Psaki’s description of the situation around Ukraine comes as the heads of US diplomacy, Antony Blinken, and Russia, Sergei Lavrov, plan to meet in Geneva on Friday.
A US official who spoke on condition of anonymity said Blinken’s aim was to look into “whether there is a diplomatic way out” and “common ground” to persuade Russia to withdraw from Ukraine.
In turn, Russia asked for “concrete” answers yesterday before continuing to discuss Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.
Reference-www.eleconomista.com.mx