Merkel again rejected criticism of the construction of the Nord Stream II

Russian gas is already coming to Europe on other routes, the chancellor points out.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel again on Tuesday rejected criticism of her country's cooperation in the construction of the Nord Stream II gas pipeline. The project is not yet complete, but Russian gas is already coming to Europe on other routes, the chancellor told the Council of Europe. She added that gas was already coming to Germany via the Baltic Sea via the Nord Stream I pipeline. "I know that Nord Stream II is controversial and I know the views of many Member States," she said. "However, I would like to emphasize that the gas delivered via Nord Stream II that is not yet arriving is not worse than the gas coming from Nord Stream I, nor as the gas coming through Ukraine or the one coming from Russia via Turkey," Merkel said. The Nord Stream II pipeline is to transport Russian natural gas across the Baltic Sea to Germany and Western Europe off the traditional transit routes through Ukrainian and Polish territories. The US is an outspoken opponent of this pipeline. Together with Eastern European states which are also rejecting the project, the US government claims that it will increase Europe's dependence on Russian energy. The Kremlin, on the other hand, accuses Washington of trying to stop the project in order to force European customers to buy more expensive American liquefied natural gas.