Austria Says Nord Stream 2 Not Europe's Only Lever to Sanction Russia, Urges Cooperation

VIENNA (Sputnik) - The yet-to-be-launched Russian-led Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is not the only lever Europe could pull to punish Russia in the event of aggression against Ukraine, but common security on the European continent requires cooperation with Moscow, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said on Wednesday.

"The pipeline has not started to operate, and gas is not being pumped," Schallenberg told Austria's ORF channel, adding that "If we intend to respond to Russia's military aggression against Ukraine ... we have other levers that we intend to use and will use."

The minister advised against tying the Europe-Russia economic relations to Nord Stream 2 exclusively and added that "we are working on an extensive package of painful economic and financial sanctions."

Schallenberg said that both Russia and Europe can achieve "sustainable stability and security in Europe" not in spite of each other but together with each other. He stressed that Russia is the biggest country in Europe and the biggest "EU neighbour."

"This geographical and political reality cannot be denied," Schallenberg said.

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline, designed to deliver gas from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea, was completed in September 2021. The process of certifying Nord Stream 2 AG as the pipeline’s independent operator is currently underway to ensure the project complies with the conditions of the 2019 EU Gas Directive. German regulators are expected to decide on the certification in the second half of 2022.