Director of the Energy Development Fund Sergey Pikin explained why the United States has changed its position regarding the construction of Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline
Earlier it was reported that U.S. authorities announced their willingness to begin negotiations to lift sanctions against the construction of Nord Stream – 2. One of the conditions for lifting the sanctions, Washington announced the creation of a mechanism to shut down the pipeline in case of restrictions on Russian gas supplies through Ukraine.
“The new US president, Joe Biden, wants to make friends with Germany and Europe, so the rhetoric is changing – some kind of easing has to be done. Moreover, it is clear that the project will be implemented anyway – just through a very complicated structure, or to try and make it somehow softer. Apparently, they are trying to sell this softer option as easing”, – Pikin said.
He noted that Ukraine’s interests are minimally taken into account in Washington’s negotiations on Nord Stream 2 because “the poorer Ukraine is, the easier it is to influence it”.
“I’m not sure they have much interest in preserving transit through Ukraine. Politically, maybe they talk about it, but in fact they are more interested in a weak Ukraine to influence it with their military and political leverage”, – the expert concluded.
“Nord Stream 2” envisages the construction of two branches of the pipeline with a total capacity of 55bn cubic metres of gas per year from the Russian coast to Germany across the Baltic Sea. The US actively opposes the construction of the pipeline as it promotes its liquefied natural gas to the EU.