Germany says it needs Nord Stream 2, denies being captive to Russian energy supplies

The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is one of the ways for Germany to meet its growing energy demand, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier has said, rebuffing criticism that the project increases Russia’s energy leverage on Berlin.

Germany will have an increased demand for natural gas, as the country is phasing out coal and nuclear power, the minister said in an interview to Bild shortly before his trip to the US – one of the most vocal critics of the Nord Stream 2 project.

“We do not depend on Russia. It is about shortening delivery routes and creating new supply structures,” Altmaier said. He added that the completion of the pipeline, designed to deliver Russian gas to Europe, serves the same purpose as building new terminals for American liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the country.

The statement came as the Nord Stream 2 received another barrage of criticism, this time from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). On Sunday, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s committee adopted a resolution against the Nord Stream 2 and Turk Stream projects, labeling them a tool that Moscow could allegedly use for its political purposes.

Russian officials have already slammed the OSCE resolution as an attempt to pressure countries involved in the project, which is scheduled to be finished by the end of this year.