Chancellor Angela Merkel has sought to assuage Ukrainian concerns over the nearly completed Nord Stream 2 pipeline, saying Germany would not allow Russia to weaponise the gas corridor.
The construction of NS2, which will pump Russian gas to western Europe across the Baltic Sea, is of particular concern to Kyiv, which stands to lose $2bn in transit revenues if Moscow cuts supplies through Ukraine. Opponents say the $11bn pipeline also increases Europe’s dependence on Russian energy exports.
“Gas cannot be used as a weapon,” Merkel said on Sunday after meeting Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukrainian president, in Kyiv. “We are for new sanctions if Russia uses this gas pipeline as a weapon,” she added without going into detail.