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US trying to take control of Nord Stream infrastructure — Bundestag deputy

According to Steffen Kotre, if that happened, the EU would be completely dependent on the US or Nord Stream would never be launched again

MOSCOW, February 4. /TASS/. Washington is trying to establish control over the Nord Stream infrastructure, if this happens, Europe will be completely dependent on the US, Steffen Kotre, a Bundestag deputy from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) faction told TASS.

"The EU's sanctions policy is already very destructive, but the EU itself does not want a complete collapse of the economy. There is still some common sense left, and no one is refusing gas supplies from Russia. <…> But in this context, namely in the case of Nord Stream 2, we also see that an American company wants to seize the empty pipes. And this, of course, would be fatal," the Bundestag deputy believes.

"The EU, Germany, at least, had a certain energy sovereignty for decades, but if the US now fully enters the European market, takes over the management of Nord Stream, then we will be completely dependent on them or Nord Stream will never be launched again," he said.

"We see that another package of EU sanctions is being prepared. We see people who now want to completely wean the EU off cheap Russian gas. Coal and oil are no longer imported from Russia precisely because of these destructive EU sanctions. As always, a third country is laughing out loud, namely the United States," Kotre stressed.

The deputy noted that Russian gas is still being supplied to some EU countries - Spain, France, Belgium and Germany, while the Baltic countries, Poland and Finland want to stop this and establish "their own rules."

"But even the European Union is not so stupid as to say that we will now completely cut off these gas supplies, because this would also be economic suicide," he stressed.

In addition, Kotre added that the Baltic countries, Poland and many others are "rubbing their hands" and selling off infrastructure that does not belong to them.

"European, especially German, policy simply admits that we are losing our energy sovereignty, and this is fatal. Unfortunately, it is obvious that the EU and Germany are no longer interested in providing European and German citizens with cheap gas. They admit that we will have to import expensive gas for decades," the AfD representative said.

In Germany, the AfD is called a right-wing populist party. Other political forces consider it impossible to work with it within the framework of any coalition - either at the federal or regional levels. In its election program the AfD advocates lifting of economic sanctions against Russia and repair of the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines.

Snap parliamentary elections in Germany are scheduled for February 23.