Germany's Maas Turns Down Possibility To Quit Nord Stream 2 To Pressure Russia Over Donbas

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has rejected the idea of abandoning the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline construction over the situation on the Russian-Ukrainian border for fears that quitting the project could further fuel tensions

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th April, 2021) German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has rejected the idea of abandoning the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline construction over the situation on the Russian-Ukrainian border for fears that quitting the project could further fuel tensions.

"This is a long-lasting discussion. The government's position has always been extremely clear ... I am also quite skeptical about the idea that the suspension will lead to de-escalation from the Moscow side - it is rather worth fearing that the result will be the opposite," Maas told ARD broadcaster commenting on the issue of halting the construction of the Nord Stream 2.

Maas added that no one is seeking to aggravate the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Earlier this week, German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said it was necessary to make the volumes of gas that would be transported via the Nord Stream 2 dependent on "Russia's behavior.

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The armed conflict in Donbas between Ukraine's government and the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics has been underway since 2014. On Thursday, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine told Sputnik it was registering increased military activity on the contact line over the past few weeks.

On Monday, the G7 foreign ministers and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, expressed concerns over the Russian armed forces' movement on the border with Ukraine and in Crimea, and called for de-escalation.

Moscow, in turn, has described the situation on the border with Ukraine as "frightening," and vowed to bolster security in response to an increased NATO presence. Russia has repeatedly said it was not party to the conflict in eastern Ukraine and stressed that Crimea's residents decided to rejoin Russia through a democratic process in compliance with international law.