Russia Gas Link ‘Not Possible’ If Ukraine Is Harmed, Merkel Says

  • German leader shifts tone to say Nord Stream 2 is political
  • Signals she’s listening to Ukrainian concern about cut-out

Photographer: Tim Fadek/Bloomberg

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel said a new Russian natural-gas pipeline is impossible if it leaves Ukraine empty-handed, shifting her rhetoric on a project criticized by President Donald Trump.

Merkel said political considerations must play a role on Nord Stream 2, which would double an existing pipeline’s capacity to almost 30 percent of European Union demand. In the past, she has portrayed Nord Stream primarily as a business venture driven by private investors.