Threatening companies involved in the Russia-Germany Nord Stream Two project is "unscrupulous" and an "inappropriate means of economic competition," the Russian ambassador to the UK, Andrei Kelin, has told CGTN Europe's The Agenda with Stephen Cole.

Kelin has been Russia's ambassador to the UK since November 2019, but even in that short time he has had a lot to deal with, including U.S. criticism of the gas pipeline project. 

Previously described as a "whole European project," by the CEO of the German Eastern Business Association, Michael Harms, Kelin said it was a "commercial project."

"It has been initiated by Germany, and imposing sanctions, albeit extraterritorial sanctions or as it is now going on, threatening companies which are involved in these, this is unscrupulous, really," he told CGTN Europe. 

"This is an inappropriate means of economic competition in the economic field," Kelin added, further insisting it was in no way a political project, or show of strength."

He was asked by host Stephen Cole if the threat of sanctions was a "sign... of the U.S. worrying that Germany is going to be over-reliant on Russian energy?"

The ambassador added it was more a concern for the nations looking to buy Russian gas, rather than the federation itself.

"This is a matter for Germany, of course, and other countries who do believe that the gas will be cheaper for them than the liquid gas imported from the United States."

Later in the interview, which you can watch in full here, Kelin insisted Moscow had not preferred either option in the UK's 2016 Brexit referendum. 

"We do not have any feeling about it. This is up to UK to decide, whether it feels more comfortable outside of the European Union and being on her own... or being inside the European Union. For us, it doesn't make a big difference."

Kelin added that while "in economic terms, of course, there is an opportunity for Russia to develop more relationship in the field of trade and investment," this was yet to materialize. 

"It seems that there are political barriers to this," the ambassador said.