VLADIVOSTOK, September 5. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his bewilderment at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum that Germany was still refusing to start the remaining Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

"I simply cannot understand it. Nord Stream, the gas pipeline along the Baltic Sea bottom, was blown up. Both strings of the Nord Stream and one string of the Nord Stream 2 were blown up. By the way, one still exists, it is in operable condition. What is preventing said German government from pulling the trigger, coming to terms with us and turning it on?" Putin asked.

If Nord Stream 2 is brought back online, 27.5 bln cubic meters of gas would immediately go to Europe, the Russian leader stressed. "Why don’t they do it? I don’t understand. They can receive gas via the territory of Ukraine, via the TurkStream, but they can’t through the string running along the bottom of the Baltic Sea. In my opinion, this is a kind of professional malpractice. Insanity, simply nonsense. Why? If they do not want to - fine," Putin added.