German chancellor Angela Merkel has backed the country’s foreign minister Heiko Maas who said on September 6 that Germany’s support on the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline was not unconditional. The statement came as Germany and its allies mulled a response to Moscow following the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny.
Merkel’s Christian Democratic-led bloc has been a supporter of the project that can help Germany’s transition from coal to renewables. Merkel herself said as recently as July that it was right to proceed with the project despite sanction threats from the US. However, last week she pledged a coordinated NATO and EU response to the Kremlin’s murder attempt.
Officials within Merkel’s coalition have signalled measures that are not pulling out of the project. These measures include a moratorium on construction or ceasing gas flows once the pipeline is completed. Meanwhile, the Social Democrats, which partners with Merkel’s coalition, have been steadfast to maintain stable ties with Moscow. The party leader Rolf Muetzenich on Sunday said imposing measures against Russia would not help Germany.
The 55 Bcm/year Nord Stream 2 is critical to Russia’s energy exports because it will reduce the need to use the existing gas transit to Europe in Ukraine. Shell, OMV, Engie, Uniper, and Wintershall are among over 100 European firms which participate in the project. These companies argue that Nord Stream 2 is crucial to Europe’s energy security.
The project left a final 160-km section to lay in Danish waters when the US imposed sanctions on it in December. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak previously vowed the project would be completed despite challenges. It remains unclear when the pipeline will be completed and begin service.
