On Saturday, a high-ranking politician from Angela Merkel’s party, Armin Laschet, refused to give an unequivocal answer to the question whether the government should stop the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in protest against the attempt to poison the Russian oppositionist Alexei Navalny.
Germany should seek a joint answer with its partners from the European Union, said the Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia and one of the main candidates for Merkel’s successor.
We need a European response (…) that will allow Europe to make its position clear to Russia
Laschet explained.
It is good if we reach a common solution that is as consistent as possible
– added.
On Friday, Laschet spoke against the hasty decision on the Nord Stream 2. Due to Germany’s energy needs, “you should not react instinctively on the first day after the Bundeswehr provides evidence that Navalny has been poisoned” – emphasized the CDU politician, quoted by the RND press service .
The Christian Democrats summon Merkel
Because of Navalny, several leading Christian Democrats called on Merkel to suspend the construction of the gas pipeline, including Chairman of the Bundestag’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Norbert Roettgen. The chancellor, a supporter of the project, decided, however, that this should not be associated with an attempt to poison Navalny.
The fact that Moscow is unable to explain the circumstances of the attack on Navalny increases suspicions that the Russian government was involved
– stated the German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in an interview for “Bild am Sonntag”.
Navalny is in a coma at the Charite hospital in Berlin, where he was transferred from Russia at the request of his family. The politician was hospitalized on August 20 in Omsk, Siberia. He felt unwell on a plane flying from Tomsk to Moscow and lost consciousness.
According to the German government, there is evidence of an attempt to poison the opposition with a combat agent from the Nowiczok group.
mly / PAP
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