Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his belief that the attacks on the "Nord Stream 2" pipeline project stem from the efforts of certain parties to force Moscow to finance the West's geopolitical project in Ukraine.
During a virtual meeting he held today, Wednesday, with the heads of parliamentary factions in the State Duma, Putin stated: "Why is everything centered around 'Nord Stream 2'? Because they want to compel Russia to finance their geopolitical project 'Ukraine', that’s all there is to it." The Russian president noted that Moscow has been aware of this for a long time, adding: "This is the world we live in."
Putin pointed out that the closure of Russian channels in Ukraine and the Baltic States is one of the tools used by the West to achieve its geopolitical goals, saying: "This is not surprising; we have been monitoring it for a long time, but recent developments have clearly proven the correctness of our positions and assessments."
He accused the West of double standards regarding freedom of expression, criticizing the closure of three opposition television channels in Ukraine on the grounds of their alleged ties to Russia, emphasizing that everyone in the West remains silent on this matter, with some even welcoming the decision of the Kyiv government.
Putin also recalled that the Latvian authorities banned 16 Russian media outlets with a single decision, questioning: "Where are the assessments from the Western advocates of truth on this? And what assessments are there regarding what is happening there - in Europe - in terms of freedom of expression?"
It is noteworthy that "Nord Stream 2" is a project to extend a gas pipeline from Russia to Germany and faces opposition from Washington. It has been reported that Russian company "Gazprom" plans to put the "Nord Stream 2" gas line into operation this year, as revealed in a presentation by Vladimir Frolov, Deputy Head of the Technology Export Substitution Department in the company, during an energy event held yesterday, Thursday.
