Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the actions of the European Commission and the United States with regard to the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline were one of the reasons for the current crisis in the European gas markets, RIA Novosti reports.
“Let’s not forget that when Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream-2 were under construction, the European Commission did everything to retroactively extend the requirements of the Third Energy Package to these gas pipelines, contrary to the official opinion of EU lawyers that this gas pipeline should be withdrawn from requirements of the Third Package, because all investments were made before the Third Energy Package was approved”, Lavrov said during a meeting with representatives of the Association of European Businesses (AEB) in Russia.
The minister also noted that the United States exerted pressure, including on Germany, which “was forced to abandon the purchase of Russian pipeline gas, instead build terminals to receive American liquefied natural gas.”
“The US wants to directly embroil Russia with Europe on the gas issue,” Lavrov stressed.