French government calls on Germany to halt Nord Stream 2

French Minister of State for European Affairs Clement Bonn has called on the German government to halt the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline amid detentions of protesters in Russia.

In particular, he said that French officials had always reiterated they have great doubts about the project in this context, the Ukrainian-language service of Germany's Deutsche Welle (DW) wrote on February 1.

Asked if this meant urging Berlin to abandon the Nord Stream 2 project, Bonn replied that this is exactly the case and that the parties have already spoken about it.

Read alsoGerman party leader calls for moratorium on Nord Stream 2According to Bonn, European leaders are now considering new sanctions against Russia amid suppression of protests in the country over the poisoning and arrest of anti-corruption activist and opposition figure Alexei Navalny. Thousands of Russians took to the streets last Sunday, despite the government's ban. As a result, over 5,000 people had been detained.

The French minister also said that sanctions had earlier been imposed against Russia, and that another package may be introduced, but at the same time, Western leaders should be aware that such measures would not be enough. He added that another option that is being looked at is Nord Stream 2.

Read alsoRussia may abandon Nord Stream 2 completion plans – Polish expertAt the same time, he noted that this should be Germany's decision, as long as the gas pipeline is being laid in its territory.

Germany's response

The German government in response to France's call says it has not changed its position regarding support for the Nord Stream 2 completion, as per Deputy Speaker for the German government, Martina Fitz, DW reports.

According to her, the German government is well aware of France's stance, and Berlin maintains "very close contact" on the issue with Paris.

Background

On January 24, the Russian pipe-laying ship Fortuna, on which the United States slapped sanctions, resumed construction of the gas pipeline in Danish waters.

Fortuna is expected to complete works in Danish waters before the middle of the last week of May. Then, it will start laying pipes in German waters, where construction will continue until June.

Besides France, a number of other European countries, in particular Poland, Lithuania, and Ukraine, have criticized the pipe construction. A number of German politicians also oppose the project. In particular, Chairman of the Free Democratic Party (FDP), Christian Lindner, has called for a moratorium on the pipeline completion amid violations of human rights and civil liberties in Russia.

German climate activists are also protesting against Nord Stream 2. However, they oppose the use of gas as fuel in general, calling for its complete abandonment as an energy source.