Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Germany is making a mistake by taking NATO’s side on the Ukraine conflict.
“Germany decided that commitments to some international agreements, including NATO, took precedence over domestic interests. I believe that this is a mistake and their economy and citizens are suffering. Otherwise, they would not undermine the Nord Stream gas pipelines,” Putin told reporters after the completion of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit in the Kazakh capital of Astana.
“One branch of Nord Stream 2 pipeline is in working condition. A decision to launch it is not being made and is unlikely to be made, but it’s none of our business,” he added.
Putin was also asked if he would hold talks with US President Joe Biden.
“You should ask him (Biden) if he wants to hold talks with me. For now, I do not see the need for negotiations with Biden until I see a platform for this,” he said.