Robert Habek, co-chairman of the German Soyuz 90 / Greens party, called on the current German authorities to hold talks with Russia on gas supplies as soon as possible.
“We are dependent on Russia, it restricts gas supplies. Gas storage facilities in Germany are not fully filled [with gas] and demand is high. The current government of the Federal Republic of Germany should quickly talk with Russia about how to change this”, Habek said on the air of the ARD TV channel.
The Greens politician added that the Russian gas pipeline Nord Stream-2 is currently unable to obtain a permit for operation in connection with the EU Gas Directive.
“Russia seems to be playing a kind of poker game with us. But this is a foreign policy issue that the current government of Germany can at least discuss”, said Habek.
Nord Stream-2 consists of two pipelines with a total capacity of about 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year, which are built from the shores of Russia to Germany across the Baltic Sea. Moscow has repeatedly stressed that Nord Stream 2 is “an exclusively commercial project and is being implemented jointly with European partners.”