France on Monday urged Germany to scrap a major gas pipeline project with Russia in protest over the detention in Moscow of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
“We have always said we have the greatest doubts on this project in this context,” European Affairs minister Clement Beaune told France Inter radio.
Asked specifically if France wanted Berlin to drop the project, Beaune said: “Indeed, we have already said this.”
The United States as well as several European countries such as Poland have criticized the Nord Stream 2 project, saying it will increase German and EU dependence on Russia for critical gas supplies.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has insisted on the project, and work resumed on it in December after nearly a year because of American sanctions.
Beaune said European leaders were weighing new sanctions against Russia over President Vladimir Putin’s crackdown on the opposition led by Navalny, who was arrested in mid-January and faces a trial that could see him detained for years.
Thousands defied government warnings to protest across the country on Sunday in a second weekend of mass demonstrations against the arrest of Putin’s most prominent opponent.
“Sanctions have already been imposed, we could do that but we have to be clear, they will not be enough,” Beaune said.
“The Nordstream option is one under consideration,” he added, while acknowledging that “it’s a decision for Germany, because the pipeline is in Germany.”
(c) The Moscow Times
“We have always said we have the greatest doubts on this project in this context,” European Affairs minister Clement Beaune told France Inter radio.
The attempted murder of one Russian has woken the Frogs up, yet they were quite happy to let this project go ahead, despite 14,000 Ukrainians being murdered on Putin’s orders, not to mention MH17. It was also the Frogs who initiated the return of the mafia state to PACE, knowing full well, they will never abide by any rules.
It will be even harder to stop Nord Stream 2 since Biden turned off the spigots from Canada. Now Moskali oil and gas is even more important. Biden will do what he can to help Putin and send Hunter in his wake with his sacks of rubles.
Go take a dive from the Eiffel tower! Ukraine haters! Euro-trash!
“Asked specifically if France wanted Berlin to drop the project, Beaune said: ‘Indeed, we have already said this.'”
What they aren’t saying is; unless the fat bloodsucking Merkel brings us a big fat suitcase of money.
The frogs are unworthy to consider being sincere.