German business group: It’s hardly possible to legally stop Nord Stream 2

It is almost impossible to halt the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany from a legal perspective, the head of the German Eastern Business Association told Deutschlandfunk radio on Tuesday.

Asked if the project could be stopped, Michael Harms said: “Legally, I think that is hardly possible. All permits have been granted, the contracts are watertight – not only in Germany, but also in five countries plus under European regulations.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel does not rule out imposing sanctions on the pipeline in response to the suspected poisoning of a Kremlin critic with a nerve agent, her chief spokesman said on Monday.