New round of Russian aggression against Ukraine would kill Nord Stream 2 - MEP

That’s according to the leader of the European People's Party group (Conservative faction) in the European Parliament, Manfred Weber, who spoke in an interview with Bild am Sonntag, published on December 5, Ukrinform reports.

The German politician welcomed a stance pursued by NATO, which made it clear to Russia that any aggressive actions against Ukraine will come at a high cost.

Weber believes that the issue of this cost is including the responsibility of Germany and its future federal government.

"If Putin resorts to using weapons, it will mean the end of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline," he said. The MEP believes that the ruling coalition of the SPD, FDP, and the Greens should have clearly declared that in this case "the commissioning (of the pipeline) would be ruled out."

The MEP called the situation very worrying and "a test for NATO and the Western community of values".

The Ukrainian government earlier said Russian troops could go for an offensive against Ukraine in late January 2022. Citing U.S. intelligence sources on Saturday, the Washington Post also reported the possibility of an attack involving 100 battalions worth of tactical units, which is nearly 175,000 forces, along with tanks, artillery, and other military hardware. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has denied plotting an incursion, blaming the West for allowing Ukraine to arm itself.

Meanwhile, the White House confirmed plans of U.S. and Russian presidents, Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin, to hold a video call on Tuesday.

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