Russia has complained that the West is using the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline as “leverage” in the Ukraine conflict at Washington’s behest. “This is unfortunately a reflection of the existing realities in Europe and in NATO,” deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Wednesday, according to the Interfax news agency. He said this was a “political circus that the West is organizing.” Ryakov said the European Union and NATO were not even trying to weigh their own interests properly in the long term. His comments come amid increased diplomatic efforts to avert war with Russia, after M…