Germany halted the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline on Tuesday in response to Moscow’s recognition of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, effectively putting an end to the 10-billion-euro project that has long irritated allies.
Berlin had steadfastly pursued the pipeline, which was set to double Russia’s natural gas import capacity, despite opposition from the US and Eastern Europe, which feared it would make the continent overly reliant on Russian energy.
Despite controversies weighing on German-Russian ties, such as the poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, several spying scandals, and a series of cyberattacks, the German government pressed ahead with the project, which was finally completed last year and was awaiting regulatory approval.
However, only hours after Putin’s decision to recognise rebels in eastern Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated on Tuesday that he had requested that the licencing process be paused, despite Europe’s grave energy crisis, which has pushed gas prices skyrocketing.
“That may seem technical, but it is an essential administrative procedure without which there can be no pipeline certification, and without this certification, Nord Stream 2 cannot begin operations,” he explained.
The White House quickly applauded the move, and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba termed it “a morally, politically, and practically correct measure in the current circumstances.”
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