"We ... prescribed in the coalition agreement that European energy law should apply to energy projects ... At the moment, this gas pipeline cannot be approved," Berbock quoted TASS as saying.

According to her, the project does not yet comply with EU standards.

In order to start pumping gas, the pipeline operator needs to obtain approval from the German regulator for compliance with the EU Gas Directive.

Earlier, the candidate for the chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Olaf Scholz, earlier spoke in favor of maintaining the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine.

Russia's Permanent Representative to the EU Vladimir Chizhov also commented on the situation with the Nord Stream 2 project.