MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th September, 2020) The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project will withstand the current threat of sanctions over the incident with Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny, who is undergoing treatment in Germany after falling ill in Russia in August, but delays are not excluded, Russian Permanent Representative to the EU Vladimir Chizhov said on Solovyov Live channel.
"I think it will withstand [the threat], although I do not rule out certain delays," the diplomat said.
Earlier, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the issues of Nord Stream 2 and the incident with Navalny should be considered separately. Nevertheless, a number of politicians in Germany have voiced calls to suspend or even end the Nord Stream 2 project. At the same time, more balanced positions can also be heard.
The Kremlin has called to stop mentioning Nord Stream 2 in the context of any politicization, since it is a commercial project that is beneficial to both Russia and the European Union, and primarily Germany.
On August 20, Navalny fell ill during a domestic Russian flight. He was initially treated in the Siberian city of Omsk, where the plane had to urgently land. Two days later, once the doctors established he was fit for cross-border aerial transportation, the man was flown to the Charite hospital in Germany for further treatment.
Later, the German government said doctors had found traces of a nerve agent from the Novichok group in his system. Moscow responded by pointing out the lack of evidence in Berlin's claims and noting that Russian doctors had found no toxic substances in Navalny.
Charite reported September 7 that Navalny's condition had improved, he had been taken out of a coma and disconnected from the ventilator.
The alleged poisoning of Navalny prompted many European officials to call for imposing additional sanctions on Russia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said Moscow will respond reciprocally if the Western countries impose new sanctions over the Navalny case.
