Germany takes steps to halt Nord Stream 2

Olaf Scholz said his government was taking the measure in response to Moscow's actions in Ukraine.

February 22, 2022 05:23 pm | Updated 05:23 pm IST

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz addresses a joint news conference with Ireland’s Prime Minister (not pictured) following talks at the Chancellery, in Berlin, Germany February 22, 2022.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz addresses a joint news conference with Ireland’s Prime Minister (not pictured) following talks at the Chancellery, in Berlin, Germany February 22, 2022. | Photo Credit: Reuters

Germany has taken steps to halt the process of certifying the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Tuesday, as the West started taking punitive measures against Moscow over the Ukraine crisis.

Mr. Scholz told reporters in Berlin that his government was taking the measure in response to Moscow's actions in Ukraine.

The pipeline bringing natural gas from Russia to Germany has long been criticised by the United States and some European countries who argue that it increases Europe's reliance on Russian energy supplies.

Mr Scholz said that the government had decided to “reassess” the certification of the pipeline, which hasn't begun operating yet, in light of the latest developments.

“That will certainly take time, if I may say so,” he said.

Top News Today

Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.