Chancellor Olaf Scholz wants to see the perpetrators of the attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines in Germany brought to justice. “That was a terrorist act,” said the SPD politician on Saturday at a citizens’ dialogue in Prenzlau in Brandenburg.
And he added: “We call on all security authorities and the Federal Prosecutor General to investigate without regard for anyone.” That is exactly what is being done. “Nothing is being covered up, that should be very clear. And we want to bring those who did this to court in Germany if we can get hold of them. You can rely on that, and we will not give any quarter.”
The gas pipelines from Russia to Germany were blown up in autumn 2022. In mid-August it became known that the Federal Prosecutor General was looking for a Ukrainian in the case who is said to have fled from Poland to his home country. So far he has not been caught.
Scholz recalled in Prenzlau that Russia had already suspended gas deliveries at the time of the attack. “The gas was gone because (Russian President Vladimir) Putin stopped delivering. And everything else is a lie, a real, big, fat lie that no one should fall for.”
Scholz estimated the cost of replacing Russian natural gas supplies with other sources such as liquefied gas and of supporting citizens and businesses at “well over 100 billion euros.” Prices had to be subsidized so that people could still pay for gas and businesses did not go bankrupt, Scholz said.
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