US threats to impose sanctions on companies taking part in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project to deliver Russian gas to Europe bypassing transit nations are inadmissible and have nothing to do with free trade.
“We view such actions as inadmissible means of pressure that have nothing in common with the international law and the free and fair trade,” said Russia’s Ambassador to Germany Sergei Nechayev.
The ambassador added that Washington has been using “unfair methods that contradict market principles” to secure its deliveries of liquefied natural gas to Europe.
According to Nechayev, Russia “would be capable of finishing the project on its own” if German companies quit the project, and has sufficient financial resources to do so.
“However, we oppose radical measures,” he said. “Let me speak about those threats once again: no matter who voices them, the choice of threats, in our view, cannot be considered an efficient method neither in politics nor in economy.”
The ambassador also refuted claims that Russia would allegedly stop transiting gas via Ukraine once Nord Stream 2 is launched. He said the Ukrainian transit will continue “if it makes sense from the economic point of view.”
“Russia has never used gas deliveries as an “energy weapon” and has no plans to do so in the future,” he added.