Merz vows to "do everything" to prevent Nord Stream 2 from becoming operational

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz promised to do everything to weaken Russia's military machine and to prevent the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from working.

Merz stressed in a statement at a press conference with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berlin that the large-scale air attacks on Kyiv that occurred at the weekend do not speak the language of peace, but the language of war.

"This is a slap in the face of all those fighting for a ceasefire in Ukraine, in Europe and in the United States. Therefore, we will increase pressure on Russia," Merz asserted. 

He promised to do everything to weaken Moscow's military machine.

"We are also doing this to pave the way for negotiations. I speak on behalf of Germany. In this regard, we will do everything to ensure that Nord Stream 2 does not work," he concluded.

The European Union plans to impose sanctions on the operators of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, which transport Russian gas to Europe, to eliminate any future investment interest.

Merz actively supports the European Commission's plan to ban the resumption of gas pipelines.