Minister Lambrecht wants to "target Putin" - Habeck is already making clear Nord Stream hint

Created: 12/20/2021, 06:24 AM

By: Luisa Billmayer

"My first mission trip leads me to Lithuania quite deliberately": Christine Lambrecht.

© Kay Nietfeld / dpa

The handling of Nord Stream 2 in the Russia-Ukraine conflict remains a contentious issue for the traffic light coalition.

Olaf Scholz may soon have to position himself more clearly.

Berlin - Germany's relationship with Russia continues to be a headache for the new traffic light government. On the one hand, the final certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is still pending; on the other hand, the German government has criticized Russia's actions on the border with Ukraine. The new Defense Minister * Christine Lambrecht (SPD) has now commented on both conflicts in an interview.

Russia * is said to have positioned between 75,000 and 100,000 soldiers near the Ukrainian border, according to NATO circles. "I am watching with great concern what is happening there," said SPD * politician Lambrecht of

. “I can also understand the Ukrainians' fears very well. That is why my first mission on Sunday goes to Lithuania to the NATO rapid reaction force to get an impression of how the soldiers see the situation in the region. Clearly: the aggressor is Russia. We must do everything possible to stop an escalation. This also includes the threat of harsh sanctions. "

They make Russia policy: Annalena Baerbock, Robert Habeck, Christine Lambrecht and Olaf Scholz on the government bench (from left to right) © Kay Nietfeld / dpa / picture-alliance

Russia: Lambrecht threatens - "We have to target Putin"

When asked whether the EU is also considering the gas pipeline in the event of possible sanctions, Lambrecht replied: “We have to use the entire set of instruments that we have.

Right now we have to target Putin and those around him.

Those responsible for the aggression must feel personal consequences, for example that they can no longer travel to the Paris Champs Élysées to shop. "

Grüner Habeck: Nordstream 2 as leverage in the Russia-Ukraine conflict?

"No thinking bans"

Robert Habeck had also previously commented on Nord Stream 2.

The Green politician and Minister of Economics told the

about the pending operating permit for the pipeline that the Federal Network Agency would make a decision according to the law.

"Another question is what happens if Russia continues to violate the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the situation escalates." Any further military aggression could not be without severe consequences.

“There can be no prohibition on thinking,” Habeck clarified.

Video: Nord Stream 2: The Controversial Pipeline Project

Chancellor Olaf Scholz, on the other hand, made it clear that he was looking at the pipeline regardless of the foreign policy situation. “With regard to Nord Stream 2, it is a private-sector project,” he said on Friday night (December 17th). For the commissioning of the pipeline, compliance with European law has to be clarified in one aspect. “An authority in Germany decides on this quite apolitically,” emphasized the SPD politician.

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline has long been criticized by the USA *, but also by some EU countries.

They fear that they are too dependent on Russia for energy supplies.

At its summit, the EU unanimously threatened Russia with retaliation in the event of an attack on Ukraine.

In a joint statement by the heads of state and government, Russia urgently needs to defuse the tensions caused by the deployment of troops on the border with Ukraine and aggressive rhetoric.