OREANDA-NEWS. One of the most important points out of the crisis with Russia remains the launch of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. This was announced on February 8 by French Minister of Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire on the radio station France Inter.

The day before, US President Joe Biden said that if Russia invades Ukraine, "the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will no longer exist."

“Let's not let the Americans lead us into a different position than the Europeans. We have different interests in this Ukrainian crisis,” he said.

Le Maire reminded that it is not the United States that will face the consequences of the conflict in Ukraine, but the Europeans, in terms of electricity prices.

“The opening of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is one of the key points in the negotiations and, undoubtedly, one of the key points for overcoming the crisis with Russia,” the French minister added.

The visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Moscow, he called "more than necessary." The French minister called de-escalation the only possible solution to the situation in Ukraine.

The day before, American leader Joe Biden promised to "put an end" to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the event of Russia's "invasion" of Ukraine. The statement was made after his talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Biden assured that Washington and Berlin are united in their position.

A day earlier, National Security Adviser to the US President Jake Sullivan said that Washington intends to use the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline as a lever of influence on Russia in the situation around Ukraine.

Currently, Germany is awaiting the completion of the certification of the gas pipeline. On February 4, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that the launch of the project would depend on Russia's actions.

On the same day, an expert on economics and energy issues of the Alternative for Germany faction in the Bundestag, a member of the parliamentary committee on climate protection and energy, Steffen Kotre, said that abandoning the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline would be a stupid damage to their own economy.