Swedish Defense Ministry Reaffirms Gov't Considers Nord Stream 2 Detrimental

The Swedish Defense Ministry maintains that Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project could pose danger to the country's interests, a spokeswoman for Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist said Monday refuting recent media reports that the government changed its stance.

STOCKHOLM (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, Sveriges Radio broadcaster reported, citing government sources, that the national authorities softened their approach and were not opposed to the lease of a part of a port in the city of Karlshamn to accommodate the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

"The government's assessment has not changed," Marinette Nyh Radebo said as quoted by Swedish TT news agency.

In December last year, the local government began to have doubts about the deal after a meeting with Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom and Hultqvist, who later told journalists that the agreement could undermine Swedish military and political interests.

Karlshamn is located in Blekinge County in the south of Sweden. The port in the Swedish island and province of Gotland, off the southern shore of Sweden, was also considered by the Nord Stream 2 developers.

The Nord Stream 2 project intends to build two new pipelines in the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany.