Ukraine has begun formal consultations with the EU and Germany on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said on Wednesday, following a compromise reached between Washington and Berlin on the controversial project. Germany and Russia.
The Ukrainian minister said an official notice had already been sent to Brussels and Berlin.
Kuleba made the remarks minutes after the United States and Germany announced that they had reached an agreement on the consequences of Russia using the pipeline to hit Ukraine and other Eastern European countries.
“If Russia tries to use energy as a weapon or commit other acts of aggression against Ukraine, Germany will take action at national level and press for effective action at European level, including sanctions, to reduce “Russia's energy export capabilities to Europe,” the two countries said.
The United States and Germany have also called for “gas to pass through Ukraine after 2024”, the deadline under Kiev's current agreement with Russia. “Germany undertakes to use all means to exert pressure to facilitate an extension of up to 10 additional years” of this agreement on the passage of gas through Ukraine.
At the same time, Berlin until September 1 “will appoint a special envoy to support these negotiations”, the joint statement of the two countries states.
In a telephone conversation between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin announced “the possibility” of such an extension “beyond 2024” as early as Wednesday.
In addition, Germany has pledged to “create a green fund” to support “Ukraine's energy transition”, to which Berlin will initially pay € 150 million to “support and promote at least $ 1 billion in investments” that will come mainly from from the private sector.
German Foreign Minister Haiko Maas expressed “relief” for “this constructive solution”.
According to Moscow, Merkel and Putin said they were “satisfied with the fact that the construction” of Nord Stream 2 “is nearing completion”.
The German-American agreement seems to remove the last obstacles to the completion of the pipeline.
The deal is another blow to Ukraine, which has been trying to persuade its Western partners to speed up NATO membership.
“This decision has created political, military and energy threats to Ukraine and Central Europe, while enhancing Russia's ability to destabilize the security situation in Europe by perpetuating differences between NATO and EU member states,” he said. Kuleba.
“Unfortunately, the proposals so far aimed at filling the security gap that is being created cannot be considered sufficient to effectively reduce the threats posed by Nord Stream 2,” he added in a joint statement with Polish counterpart Zbigniew Rao.
Ukraine worries that Russia will use energy as a weapon against it and that it will lose the revenue it receives for the passage of natural gas through its territory once Nord Stream 2, which will transport gas from Russia, is operational. in Germany via the Baltic Sea.
Washington has sent State Department Adviser Derek Cholet to Kiev to discuss Ukraine's concerns over the pipeline, and announced yesterday that US President Joe Biden will receive a meeting with White House Foreign Minister which Kiev eagerly desired.
Zelensky commented that he plans to have an “honest and open” discussion with Biden about Nord Stream 2.
