German Minister of Environment and Nuclear Safety Svenja Schulze assessed the consequences of the suspension of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in an interview with RND.
“If we had stopped the project now, we would have caused enough harm, questioning the reliability of decisions made on the basis of the rule of law,” Schulze said. She also suggested that in this case the German side would face legal proceedings.
The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany along the bottom of the Baltic Sea was supposed to be commissioned at the end of 2019. However, its completion was hampered, in particular, by the threat of sanctions from the United States, due to which European companies began to withdraw from the project. On January 19, 2021, Washington for the first time realized the threat and imposed restrictions on the Russian barge Fortuna, which was going to be used to complete construction. After that, Gazprom admitted for the first time that construction could be postponed indefinitely, and under exceptional circumstances even forever.