Kremlin says Nord Stream 2 company in contact with Germany's regulator

MOSCOW - Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that the operating company of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline was continuing to communicate with the German regulator over the certification process.

Germany's energy regulator said on Thursday full certification of the newly built pipeline would not come in the first half of 2022. Russia's representative to the European Union described the delay as political.

Western governments led by the United States have raised the possibility of imposing sanctions to prevent the pipeline coming into operation if Russia invades Ukraine, something Moscow denies it is planning to do.