Germany has mixed opinions about the Nord Stream 2. This project, that had once been an economic issue but then acquired a political sense, raises a heated argument in the global community. One day the media reports on impressive progress, another day the project gets banned. Recently, positive news has appeared. German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Peter Altmaier said that the gas pipeline should be constructed and launched to meet the deadlines. He also outlined that political and economic issues should be separated, thus denying connection between problems with the project implementation and the situation in Ukraine. "These are two different issues and different areas," the minister said, answering the question about a link between the Nord Stream 2 and the Ukrainian crisis. Altmaier added that he stands against termination of building the gap pipeline. German government's spokesperson Steffen Seibert supported the minister, saying that the government considers the Nord Stream 2 to be a commercial project. However, Berlin still calls for maintaining gas transit through the territory of Ukraine. At the same time, Annalena Baerbock, the co-chairperson of the Alliance 90/The Greens party, took a stand against the project. “In view of blatant violation of the international law by Russia in regard to Ukraine, this project should be scaled down for the political reasons,” she said.
