Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) is taking legal action against a verbal attack by the Hamburg CDU state chairman Christoph Ploß on her Russia stance.

Referring to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, he claimed on the ZDF talk show “Markus Lanz” that Schwesig said about Russian aggression against Ukraine: “These violations of international law don’t interest me.

The main thing is that the pipeline goes into operation.” Schwesig denies having made such a statement.

The "Bild" newspaper had previously reported on it.

The Schwerin government spokesman Andreas Timm confirmed on Tuesday to the German Press Agency that Schwesig is taking legal action against the statement.

According to Timm, the letter states that the statement made by Ploß is untrue, and that one wants to defend oneself against it.

In addition, a cease-and-desist declaration is required, so the CDU politician should not repeat his statements.

Ploß: SPD has lost its moral compass

Ploß was unimpressed on Tuesday: "Despite this transparent attempt at intimidation, I will continue to point out the SPD's problem with Russia.

Instead of taking legal action against critics, Ms. Schwesig and the SPD should finally make it clear that Nord Stream 2 cannot be commissioned in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine," he told dpa.

He also expects the Hamburg SPD not to shy away from making a clear statement on this important issue and finally to take a stand against Russia.

Ironically, while Russian President Vladimir Putin was positioning his troops in front of Ukraine, "the SPD seems to have completely lost its moral compass when it comes to Russia".

The Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline has been completed but is not operational.

About 55 billion cubic meters of gas are supposed to flow through them from Russia to Germany every year.

The landing station is in Lubmin in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania.

SPD Chancellor Olaf Scholz again warned Russia against an attack on Ukraine on Monday and emphasized that the EU and the USA had prepared tough reactions for this eventuality.

During the Chancellor's inaugural visit to Washington, US President Joe Biden declared that the end of the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline would be part of it.

Scholz, on the other hand, does not expressly name the gas pipeline as an instrument of sanctions and only says that "all options are on the table".