VIENNA, December 14. /TASS/. Nord Stream 2 is a European project and it should not be used as a means of putting pressure on Russia because of the situation in Ukraine, said the new Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer in an interview with the German newspaper Welt published on Tuesday.

"I do not think it's necessary to associate the launch of Nord Stream 2 with Russian actions in Ukraine. By doing this, the EU can only harm itself. Nord Stream 2 is in the interests of not only Russia, but Germany and Austria will also benefit from it along with other EU countries. Nord Stream 2 is a European project that should not be used as a means of putting pressure on Moscow," Nehammer said.

During the interview, Nehammer was asked if the Austrian government will continue to support the pipeline. "Of course," said Nehammer. He added that he expects that Nord Stream 2 will be launched soon as it was planned.

Nehammer added that violence should not be the means used by politicians, and a possible violation of international law could have consequences. "So it is necessary to preserve the interests of Ukraine as a transit country," he added.

The construction of the gas pipeline was fully completed on September 10, 2021. In order to launch the pipeline, the independent transport operator needs to receive registration. The registration is necessary for the project to comply with the EU Gas Directive. Currently, the certification has been suspended, as the operator Nord Stream 2 AG, headquartered in Switzerland, needs to register a subsidiary in Germany. Until then, it is impossible to proceed.

The Russian side has repeatedly stressed that Nord Stream 2 is an exclusively commercial project and is being implemented jointly with European partners. Russian Presidential Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov expressed bewilderment at the attempts of a number of countries to determine the fate of the gas pipeline using politically motivated circumstances. Russia has also repeatedly stated that it has never used energy resources as a leverage.