Kremlin says idle Nord Stream 2 is bad for gas consumers, economy

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that the fact no gas was being shipped through the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to Germany, which is awaiting regulatory clearance, was bad for gas consumers and economic development during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Construction of Nord Stream 2, which runs on the bed of the Baltic Sea, was completed in September, but it has not been cleared yet by regulators in Germany and the European Union. Germany signaled on Tuesday it could block it if Russia re-invaded Ukraine.