BERLIN, February 4. /TASS/. Using the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to exert pressure on Russia would be a short-sighted decision, which could greatly damage foreign policy, expert on economics and energy issues of the Alternative for Germany faction in the Bundestag, member of the Committee on Climate Action and Energy Steffen Kotre told TASS on Friday.

"Using Nord Stream 2 to exert pressure would be a short-sighted decision in terms of energy policy and would needlessly damage foreign policy. A reliable energy partnership between Russia and Germany has been existing for decades, even during challenging times, and is beneficial for both parties," the Bundestag official noted. "The use of energy resources as a political weapon would be exactly [the same thing] for which the German government and the US administration are blaming Russia and threatening with sanctions," Kotre said.

Concerns over Moscow’s alleged preparations for an invasion into Ukraine have been increasingly announced in the West and in Kiev recently. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov castigated these statements as an empty and groundless escalation of tension, emphasizing that Russia posed no threat to anyone. At the same time, the Kremlin spokesman did not exclude some possible provocations to justify such claims and warned that the attempts to resolve the Ukrainian conflict by force would carry extremely serious consequences.