Olga Stefanishina, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, spoke about the compensation Kiev should receive for the completion of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
This week, Germany and the United States issued a joint statement outlining measures to support Ukraine, European energy security and common goals for climate protection. It formulates a number of conditions for the operation of Nord Stream 2. In particular, the United States and Germany stated that in the interests of Kiev and Europe to continue the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine after 2024, Berlin undertakes to use all available means of influence so that the agreement between Russia and Ukraine on gas transit is prolonged.
“First of all, this is a package of energy solutions. It is a guarantee of the preservation of transit and the continuation of contractual relations within the framework of a trilateral contract,” the vice-premier said on the air of the Ukraine 24 TV channel.
Also, according to her, Kiev should receive “guarantees, not agreements” concerning “territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
“As well as the fulfillment of the EU’s obligations to integrate gas and electricity markets in accordance with the Association Agreement with the European Union,” Stefanishina added.
As the Deputy Prime Minister noted, Kiev sent a request to the European Commission on the issue of compensation more than seven months ago.
“Unfortunately, there is still no answer. I hope that such circumstances will be a good reason for the EU to think about this proposal,” she concluded.
Nord Stream 2 envisages the construction of two pipelines with a capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year from the Russian coast through the Baltic Sea to Germany. The US actively opposes the pipeline, promoting its liquefied natural gas to the European Union, as well as Ukraine, which fears to lose revenues from the transit of Russian fuel. Moscow has repeatedly called not to politicize the issue of building the pipeline, since Nord Stream 2 is an exclusively commercial project, which is also beneficial to Brussels.