Russian Foreign Minister says Germany seems lost economic freedom

Moscow – Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has sharply criticized Germany for delaying the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, saying it has lost its economic freedom. Just last week, Germany’s new government claimed that the Nord Stream 2 fuel pipeline had not completed all the required procedures. Within 24 hours of the claim, the United States had warned that sanctions would be imposed on Nord Stream 2 over the Ukraine issue.

‘As for Nord Stream 2, it’s no longer about the freedom to choose alliances; it’s simply about the freedom to carry out ordinary commercial activities on world markets. It turns out that Germany does not have any freedom to pursue its economic interests,’ said the Russian Foreign Minister while targeting Germany. Lavrov also claimed that Germany, which has lost its economic freedom, is dependent on other countries for its decisions.

In September, Russia’s Gazprom announced the completion of the Nord Stream 2 fuel pipeline. Chancellor Angela Merkel, then in power in Germany, favoured the project. However, in a subsequent change in government, a party opposed to the Russian fuel pipeline joined the ruling coalition. The Nord Stream 2 fuel pipeline project was stopped citing technical reasons. The German government has stated that the project will not be allowed to start until mid-2022. There are indications that the project’s problems have intensified following tensions over Ukraine.

Just last week, Victoria Nuland, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs of the United States, warned that the United States would impose new sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 fuel pipeline. At the same time, she also indicated that the United States was in talks with its allies to delay granting approvals for the project. This is the background of the criticism by the Russian Foreign Minister.

In the wake of the conflict with Ukraine that erupted after the annexation of Crimea in 2014, Russia began looking for alternative ways to supply fuel to Europe. The decision to build the Nord Stream fuel pipeline was taken after this. The first phase was completed and the ambitious second phase Nord Stream 2, between Russia and Germany, was also completed. Russia has vowed to increase European countries’ fuel supply to 110 billion cubic meters through the 1,230-kilometer pipeline.