Germany halts certification of Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline
The long-suffering Nord Stream 2 project, which cost 10 billion euros, of which 5 billion was invested by Russian gas giant Gazprom, is one step closer to becoming the most expensive pile of scrap metal in the world.
Germany is stopping the certification process of the gas pipeline, which was supposed to deliver 55 billion cubic meters of Russian gas to Europe annually, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Tuesday.
"I asked the Ministry of Economy to recall from the Federal Network Agency the conclusion on energy security. This step is necessary so that the certification of the gas pipeline cannot take place now," Scholz said.
He added that without certification, the pipeline cannot be launched.
The decision, according to Scholz, was made following Russia's recognition of the independence of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, which Berlin considers unacceptable and regards as a serious violation of international law and the UN Charter.
The decrees signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin allow the deployment of Russian troops to the Donbas to "ensure peacekeeping functions."