Putin: Nord Stream 2 Is Loaded With Gas And Ready To Deliver

On Wednesday Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to Germany is fully ready and prepared to start pumping gas exports, amid a continued hold-up in regulatory approval on the German side. Hailing the completion of the $11 billion natural gas pipeline which the US had long worked to block, Putin told a government meeting which was attended by Gazprom head Alexei Miller, "I’d like to congratulate Gazprom and your partners in Nord Stream 2 on the completion of work and the creation of this additional large…