Russia will “cut off” Ukraine from transit as soon as Nord Stream 2 is operational – EU official
Ukraine should prepare for the fact that Russia will stop the transit of gas through Ukraine as soon as the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline operates. This was stated in an interview with Radio Svoboda on November 23 by a senior official of one of the European institutions (who asked not to be named), answering questions about developments after the launch of the Russian gas pipeline.
“European institutions will be available to maintain transit through Ukraine, this is the cheapest and cheapest way. Robi has everything to keep Ukraine a transit country. Ukraine will also do everything in its power. But here is my personal opinion – since US President Joe Biden went home with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the completion of Nord Stream-2, it has become clear: how many Russian gas pipelines work one day, Russia separates Ukraine from gas transit, and we need to prepare for this “, – the high-ranking official admitted.
At the same time, he added that the EU “uses all its influence on Russia” to fulfill its conditions: maintaining gas transit through Ukraine.
The interlocutor of Radio Svoboda also added that Russia artificially raised the price until the launch of its gas, but this is not the only factor: the jump in the price of natural gas was compounded by the trade war between Australia and China and weather changes in low regions.
“But the Kremlin’s influence is obvious,” the EU official said, adding that record energy prices were already at the cost of the well-being of citizens in this Europe.
Earlier, energy expert Serhiy Dyachenko spoke to Radio Svoboda about such factors that led to the rapid rise in gas prices.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is negotiating with the EU on more active use of Ukrainian underground gas storage facilities, which are the largest in Europe, to store gas reserves of the European Union, said UGS Transporter, Ukrtransgaz. At present, Western companies store about 3 billion cubic meters of gas in Ukrainian underground storage facilities, or 10% of their useful volume. Less than half of the UGS volume is enough to supply Ukrainians for the winter, so the rest can be profitable as a place to store gas for foreign gas market players – Radio Svoboda has already written about this need.
Gazprom-owned Nord Stream-2 pipeline company said on October 4 that the first line of the pipeline from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea had begun to fill with gas. This is despite the fact that on August 25, the Nord Stream-2 pipeline operator lost a lawsuit in Germany to comply with the requirements of the European Union’s gas directive on the pipeline.
The gas pipeline with a total capacity of 5 billion cubic meters per year should deliver fuel from Russia to Germany, at the bottom of the Baltic Sea, bypassing Ukraine. Many countries around the world see it as a threat to Europe’s economic security and important for Moscow’s pressure on Kyiv. In Russia, such a question is rejected.
At present, a significant part of Russian gas in Europe is supplied by the territory of Ukraine. Washington and a number of EU countries are using the fact that building a branch around the country will allow Moscow to increase pressure on Kyiv and increase the EU’s dependence on Russian supplies. In response, Gazprom accuses the United States of unfair competition.