According to the Green MEP Reinhard Bütikofer, the controversial Baltic Sea pipeline Nord Stream 2 could become an investment ruin. “The shout of triumph with which the Russian side is celebrating the completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is premature,” he told the German press agency. Even if Nord Stream 2 is now built, the pipeline must meet the requirements of European law. So there is the principle of “unbundling” (unbundling), since gas production and infrastructure for delivery should not be in one hand. In addition, third parties would have to have the right to feed into the pipeline, for which Gazprom does not yet have a solution.
The pipeline was completed a few days ago. In the future, 55 billion cubic meters of gas will flow annually from Russia to Germany through the pipeline. The United States, Ukraine and other countries had put up bitter resistance to the pipeline. When asked whether the completion of the project would be a great triumph for Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “When Nord Stream 2 goes into operation, the energy suppliers will be the winners as well as the consumers. So everyone.”
According to the Green Chancellor candidate Annalena Baerbock, putting the pipeline into operation would pose massive problems. The Kremlin is making it blatantly clear that “the purpose of the line is to put pressure on Ukraine because Nord Stream 2 will make gas transit through Ukraine superfluous,” Baerbock said Handelsblatt. “Germany’s behavior counteracts the European sanctions against Russia and strains our relationship with our Eastern European neighbors.” In addition, the pipeline is unnecessary because the existing gas infrastructure is sufficient.