Impossible to Switch Off Nord Stream 2, Gas Deliveries Have Not Started Yet, Moscow Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - It is impossible to switch off the Nord Stream 2 project as gas deliveries have not started yet, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday, adding that this kind of situation has a negative impact on European consumers.

"Russia is regularly, daily threatened by someone. The commercial international project Nord Stream 2 cannot be turned off, because it has not yet been turned on," Peskov told reporters when asked about German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s statement on the possibility of switching off the project in case of escalation in Ukraine.

Peskov went on to say that the situation in Ukraine is tense and additional deliveries of weapons there may escalate it further.

“As for the tense situation in Ukraine, it is indeed very, very tense. We see the supply of weapons there, we see various maneuvers, flights of aircraft from NATO and Western European countries. This is all leading to tensions around Ukraine," Peskov told reporters.

The Kremlin spokesman added that Moscow wants Berlin “to also pay attention” to this.

According to Peskov, Russia welcomes the efforts of any country to resolve the situation in Ukraine.

Earlier in the day, Ankara said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had invited Russian Presiden Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to visit Turkey to discuss and settle the differences.

"We welcome the efforts of any countries that can help to resolve the situation in Ukraine. The main disagreements between Russia and Ukraine are connected precisely with the stalling of the process of implementing the Minsk agreements ... on the part of Kiev. If our Turkish partners can influence the Ukrainians, and encourage them to fulfill the previously taken agreements, and oblige, this can only be welcomed," Peskov told reporters.

The place of negotiations for the settlement in Ukraine is minor, he added, noting that the main thing is to influence Kiev to implement the Minsk agreements.

The Kremlin considers the upcoming meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken "extremely important," Peskov said.

Lavrov and Blinken are expected to meet on Friday in Geneva.

"Of course, in light of the negotiations that took place and the process of formulating a response from the United States and NATO, such contacts, as you mentioned, which will take place on Friday, are extremely important. Let's not say anything yet, the agenda is absolutely clear. So let's wait until Friday," Peskov told reporters.

Peskov added that Russia is still waiting for a written response from the United States regarding Moscow’s proposals on security guarantees.