Germany denies ruling out impact on Nord Stream project over Navalny’s poisoning

Germany has denied ruling out consequences for Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project if Kremlin fails to thoroughly probe the alleged poisoning of Alexei Navalny. German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesperson was asked whether Berlin would protect the pipeline if the government seeks sanctions against Russia over Navalny’s poisoning.

"The chancellor believes it would be wrong to rule anything out from the start," Steffen Seibert responded.

Merkel is facing growing pressure to reconsider Nord Stream 2 pipeline, one of the two Russian projects in Europe to supply gas to Germany, after the health authorities confirmed the poisoning of Alexei Navalny with a Soviet-style nerve agent. Merkel’s spokesperson had said in a statement that Navalny’s toxicological test results "revealed unequivocal proof of the presence of a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group."

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said that any poisoning of an individual through the use of a nerve agent is considered a use of chemical weapons. OPCW Director-General Fernando Arias said in a statement that such an allegation is a matter of serious concern and the States that signatories to the Chemical Weapons Convention deem the use of chemical weapons as reprehensible.

Read: German Chancellor Angela Merkel Under Pressure To End Nord Stream 2 Project With Russia

Read: Russian Foreign Ministry Accuses Germany Of Stalling Alexei Navalny’s Probe

Multi-billion dollar project

Nord Stream 2, a 10-billion-euro pipeline near completion, is considered as a key part project to deliver gas to Europe via Baltic. The Russian pipeline is expected to start soon to increase its supply to European countries which will bolster Russia’s position strategically. The United States has criticised European countries for their reliance on energy from Russia and President Donald Trump signed legislation to impose sanctions on Russian companies working on the project.

Norbert Roettgen, head of Germany's parliamentary foreign affairs committee, told German radio that the government must pursue hard politics and speak the only language Russian President Vladimir Putin understands. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the talks of thwarting Nord Stream 2 are based on emotions, adding that the project was a commercial one which benefited Russia, Germany and Europe.

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Read: Kremlin Rejects Germany's Allegations Of Navalny Poisoning, Calls Them 'empty Noise'