The US fears the completion of the construction of the largest gas project to supply Russian gas to Europe, and in this regard, statements are appearing that are aimed at undermining Russia’s rating.
So, US Energy Secretary Dan Bruylett believes that Russian Gazprom will not be able to complete the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project on its own due to US sanctions, Bloomberg reports citing an official who spoke on the sidelines of the energy conference in Germany, which is the destination of the North stream 2.
“This will be a very long delay, because Russia does not have this technology,” Bruilet said in an interview with Bloomberg. “If they develop it, we will see what they do. But I do not think it is as simple as saying: well, we are almost there, we are just going to finish.
Last month, after the United States imposed sanctions on companies involved in the construction of the pipeline, Gazprom said it would complete the project on its own.
“The Nord Stream 2 project, which has already been completed by 94 percent, will be completed by the Russian side,” said Gazprom Export CEO in January.
The Nord Stream double pipe will deliver an additional 55 billion cubic meters of Russian gas to Europe and, in particular, to Germany, whose gas hunger intensifies with the closure of coal and nuclear power plants. Disagreements around the project are concentrated in Ukraine: Nord Stream bypasses the main transit corridor of Russian gas and could, as Ukrainians and the EU fear, seriously reduce the income from gas transit through Ukraine.
Of course, there is a geopolitical factor: the United States fears that an additional pipe will increase Russia’s influence in Europe to an unacceptable level.