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Russia’s EU partners in Nord Stream 2 fighting for own interests — Putin

According to the President, the project should be definitely implemented, especially in the context of the policy of the new US administration

ST. PETERSBURG, June 4. /TASS/. Russia’s partners in the Nord Stream 2 project in Europe are standing up for not just for this project but for their own interests, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.

"Do you think our partners are fighting for it [Nord Stream 2] to please us? They are fighting for their national interests. This is what they are taking care of," he said at a plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), answering a question about the risks of disruption of the Nord Stream 2 project due to US sanctions.

According to Putin, the project should be definitely implemented, especially in the context of the policy of the new US administration.

"I think that it should be implemented. Especially in the conditions when the new American administration says that <...> it wants to build good relations with its main partners in Europe. Well, how can you build good relations with partners and do not care about their interests at the same time? Well, this is just nonsense," he said.

In addition to its economic benefits, the Nord Stream 2 project is environmentally friendly, Putin said. "Our source [of gas supplies] is the cleanest in the world," the President said.

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