German chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian president Vladimir Putin are set to meet each other in Berlin this Saturday for talks about the controversial Baltic Sea Gas Pipeline, Nord Stream 2, which has been the target of raging criticism by US president Donald Trump and his administration. At least this will be one of the topics discussed, since topics like the war in Syria, the annexation of Crimea and the meddling of Russians in US elections are still hot.

Moving ahead with the natural gas project Nord Stream 2 will be one of the main topics, despite opposition to the plan from the US and several eastern European countries. The US government has repeatedly pointed to the potential security risks involved witch the Nord Stream 2. ptj reported about those concerns in several articles. The US even threatened sanctions against western companies, which are set to participate in the construction and operation of the controversial pipeline project.

Even NATO criticized the project, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said: “We’re supposed to be guarding against Russia and Germany goes out and pays billions and billions of dollars a year to Russia. That's inappropriate".

Chancellor Merkel and president Putin last held a face-to-face meeting in the Russian resort city of Sochi in May, and tackled issues including President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and the political transition in Syria.