٠٠:٠٤:٤٧Mandatory Credit: Bundesregierung
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced the halting of the certification process for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia during a press conference held alongside Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin in Berlin on Tuesday. The decision was taken in light of Russia's recent recognition of the sovereignty of the self-proclaimed people's republics of Donetsk and Lugansk in the east of Ukraine.
Scholz described the move as a "serious breach of international law" which called for a joined-up, targeted international response.
"In view of the latest developments, we must evaluate anew the situation, incidentally, also in relation to Nord Stream 2. I asked the Federal Ministry of Economics today to withdraw the existing report on the analysis of security of supply at the Federal Network Agency," he said.
"It sounds technical, but it is the necessary administrative step so that the pipeline cannot be certified now, and without this certification Nord Stream 2 cannot go into operation."
The decision comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees on the recognition of the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk in the eastern Ukrainian territory of Donbass on Monday. He subsequently ordered the Russian military to 'secure the peace' in the newly recognised territories.
Putin said the decision to recognise the breakaway republics was a direct result of the failure of the 2014 Minsk agreements to put an end to fighting in the Donbass.
Ukraine and the self-proclaimed republics continue to accuse each other of heavy shelling and violations of the Minsk agreements, as recorded by the OSCE monitoring mission.
The leaders of the DPR and LPR, Denis Pushilin and Leonid Pasechnik, had called for Moscow's support for their independence.
Germany: Scholz announces halt to Nord Stream 2 certification
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced the halting of the certification process for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia during a press conference held alongside Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin in Berlin on Tuesday. The decision was taken in light of Russia's recent recognition of the sovereignty of the self-proclaimed people's republics of Donetsk and Lugansk in the east of Ukraine.
Scholz described the move as a "serious breach of international law" which called for a joined-up, targeted international response.
"In view of the latest developments, we must evaluate anew the situation, incidentally, also in relation to Nord Stream 2. I asked the Federal Ministry of Economics today to withdraw the existing report on the analysis of security of supply at the Federal Network Agency," he said.
"It sounds technical, but it is the necessary administrative step so that the pipeline cannot be certified now, and without this certification Nord Stream 2 cannot go into operation."
The decision comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees on the recognition of the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk in the eastern Ukrainian territory of Donbass on Monday. He subsequently ordered the Russian military to 'secure the peace' in the newly recognised territories.
Putin said the decision to recognise the breakaway republics was a direct result of the failure of the 2014 Minsk agreements to put an end to fighting in the Donbass.
Ukraine and the self-proclaimed republics continue to accuse each other of heavy shelling and violations of the Minsk agreements, as recorded by the OSCE monitoring mission.
The leaders of the DPR and LPR, Denis Pushilin and Leonid Pasechnik, had called for Moscow's support for their independence.
Mandatory Credit: Bundesregierung
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced the halting of the certification process for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia during a press conference held alongside Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin in Berlin on Tuesday. The decision was taken in light of Russia's recent recognition of the sovereignty of the self-proclaimed people's republics of Donetsk and Lugansk in the east of Ukraine.
Scholz described the move as a "serious breach of international law" which called for a joined-up, targeted international response.
"In view of the latest developments, we must evaluate anew the situation, incidentally, also in relation to Nord Stream 2. I asked the Federal Ministry of Economics today to withdraw the existing report on the analysis of security of supply at the Federal Network Agency," he said.
"It sounds technical, but it is the necessary administrative step so that the pipeline cannot be certified now, and without this certification Nord Stream 2 cannot go into operation."
The decision comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees on the recognition of the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk in the eastern Ukrainian territory of Donbass on Monday. He subsequently ordered the Russian military to 'secure the peace' in the newly recognised territories.
Putin said the decision to recognise the breakaway republics was a direct result of the failure of the 2014 Minsk agreements to put an end to fighting in the Donbass.
Ukraine and the self-proclaimed republics continue to accuse each other of heavy shelling and violations of the Minsk agreements, as recorded by the OSCE monitoring mission.
The leaders of the DPR and LPR, Denis Pushilin and Leonid Pasechnik, had called for Moscow's support for their independence.