German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline should not be used as a weapon, otherwise Germany would advocate for new sanctions.

She said this after a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev.

“We made it clear that within the European framework we will advocate new sanctions if the suspicion that the pipeline is being used as a weapon grows,” TASS quoted her as saying.

She also stated that gas transit through Ukraine should continue after 2024, and called for negotiations to begin on this topic.

“I have already said with the Russian president that we should as soon as possible extend the agreement, which is valid until 2024,” she said.

Merkel also noted that Europe wants to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, which means "at the latest, in 25 years, no gas will be supplied from Russia to Europe, or will be supplied in very small quantities."

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Zelensky himself, during a joint briefing with the Chancellor, said that Ukraine considers Nord Stream 2 a "geopolitical weapon from the Kremlin," dangerous "not only for Ukraine, but for the whole of Europe."

“Ukraine will definitely not talk about Nord Stream 2 as an economy.

I think it is so dangerous that even now, while the project is not completed, we see who controls gas prices in Europe and how they change, jump up, so this is a political and security issue, ”he said.

The completion of the construction of the gas pipeline and its use "will lead to great risks, and this will only play into the hands of the Russian Federation," he said.

Zelensky also said that he does not understand who will give guarantees of Ukraine's economic security after 2024, when the contract for the transit of Russian gas to Europe expires.

Prime Minister of Ukraine Denis Shmygal, following a meeting with Merkel, also said that Kiev expects to oppose the commissioning of the project from the EU. 

The first deputy head of the international committee of the Federation Council, Vladimir Dzhabarov, commenting on Merkel's statement in an interview with RT, called her words "an ordinary phrase and homework," which should not be paid attention to.

“Merkel talked about this when she met with Biden ... Our president said very clearly that we are ready to transport gas both through Nord Stream 2 and through Ukrainian transit, but for this we need to know who wants to buy what. ", - said the senator.

He also recalled that a new chancellor will soon be elected in Germany, and expressed the opinion that Merkel, by making such statements, is trying to enlist the support of voters for her party.

In turn, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Igor Ananskikh noted that Russia has been supplying gas and oil to Europe for a long time and has never used these supplies as a weapon. 

“Back in the deep Soviet times, gas supplies to Europe began ... There were no problems.

This is purely commerce, there is no politics in this and there will not be any - neither the German, nor the Ukrainian side can doubt this, ”the deputy explained.

On August 20, during a press conference after meeting with Angela Merkel in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the construction of Nord Stream 2 is nearing completion.

He drew attention to the fact that the route of the gas pipeline is two thousand kilometers shorter than the alternative route through the territory of Ukraine, and the cost of transporting fuel through it is much lower than through the Ukrainian territory.

At the same time, he noted that Moscow does not refuse to transit gas through Ukraine.

“We are ready to transit gas through the territory of Ukraine after 2024.

But we must understand for how long, in what volume.

And for this we must get an answer, including from our European partners, how much they are ready to buy from us, ”he explained.

At the same time, on 22 August, the Russian ship Fortuna, involved in laying the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, left the exclusive economic zone of Denmark, where the pipes were being laid.

It is noted that the ship is heading to the Pomeranian Bay.

Bloomberg, citing the German maritime authorities, reported that Fortuna will continue laying Nord Stream 2 in German waters. 

Let us remind you that Nord Stream 2 is a gas pipeline that runs from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea through the exclusive economic zones and territorial waters of Germany, Denmark, Russia, Finland and Sweden.

Several European states, Ukraine, as well as the United States, which are promoting their liquefied natural gas to the EU, are opposed to its construction. Russia has repeatedly stated that Nord Stream 2 is an exclusively commercial project, in which Europe is primarily interested.