MOSCOW, 18 Sep. Deputy Energy Minister of Ukraine Olena Zerkal in an article for Evropeyskaya Pravda stated the risk of being left without gas transit and proposed a way to defeat Gazprom and the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. According to the official, Ukraine needs to rebuild the gas transportation system right now in case if the Russian concern stops transit through the country and Kiev will have to buy fuel from Europe. At the same time, Zerkal complained about Germany's behavior, since Berlin allegedly ignores the «threat.» she.
The German politician named ways to block Nord Stream 2. specially designed in Europe to prevent crisis situations with the availability of gas, «she explained. Zerkal claims that the inclusion of Ukraine in this mechanism will equalize its status with Germany, which should protect Kiev. The official also called for uniting with other countries to prove that Gazprom allegedly abuses its monopoly on gas supplies and deprives it of this opportunity. «And here it is important <...> to make Nord Stream 2 meet all the requirements of the EU's third energy package,» she explained.
«Do not whine»: the parliament announced a signal from the US via Nord Stream 2 Zerkal added that in order to maintain gas transit through Ukraine, it is necessary that all pipelines from Russia to Europe comply with the third EU energy package. According to her, this will allow different suppliers and traders to enter into competition. «This battle continues, and a common victory is possible,» she summed up. The third energy package applies to gas pipelines built after 2019, leading from third countries to the EU. The law seeks to separate gas producers and operators of the main lines that supply fuel, as well as provide third-party gas sellers with access to a pipeline that they did not build. Construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which connected Russia and Germany along the bottom of the Baltic Sea, was completed last week. … The capacity of two lines of the pipeline amounted to 55 billion cubic meters per year, the project is planned to be commissioned by the end of the year.
Gazprom responded to the EP's demand to conduct an investigation over gas pricesUkraine actively opposes the project, fearing loss of income from transit, the United States, interested in promoting its LNG, and a number of Eastern European countries. Washington several times imposed sanctions on companies involved in the project, as a result, construction slowed down by almost a year. At the same time, Germany and Austria actively supported the project. Moscow has repeatedly explained that Nord Stream 2 is a commercial project. Russia is ready to continue pumping fuel through Ukraine, but this depends on many factors, including the volume of future European purchases.
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