Merkel defends cooperation with Russia on pipeline

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday defended her country's ongoing cooperation with Russia on the building of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline amid growing criticism of Moscow's treatment of opposition politician Alexei Navalny and aggression toward Ukraine.

In an online appearance before the Council of Europe, Merkel noted that the Nord Stream 2 pipeline isn't yet completed but Russian gas already flows into Europe along other routes, including the existing Nord Stream 1 pipeline under the Baltic Sea to Germany.

Nord Stream 2 is owned by Russian state company Gazprom, with investment from several European companies, and Merkel noted that it had appropriate EU approvals.

It is being built under the Baltic, bypassing Poland and Ukraine and raising objections in both those countries. The United States has also vocally opposed the pipeline, saying it would make Europe too dependent on Russian gas.

Merkel said Germany has "great concerns" about Navalny's treatment, and is part of European Union sanctions on Russia related to his case, as well as over Ukraine, but that the idea of terminating the Nord Stream 2 project raises broader questions.

Germany has frequently noted that even at the height of the Cold War, Western Europe relied on energy supplies from Russia, and Merkel said that for her, dialogue remained the best recourse to resolving differences.