Germany thinks how to compensate Ukraine for Nord Stream
Differences between Ukraine and Germany regarding Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline can be resolved in different ways. One of them provides for compensation to Kiev if Ukraine loses its role as a transit country for gas, writes the German magazine SPIEGEL.
In addition, an option is being discussed in which Germany can offer the Ukrainian side “cooperation in hydrogen production.
The third option – Germany “promises” to allocate billions of dollars to Ukraine to repair the “absolutely worn out” Ukrainian gas transportation system, which no one has maintained for decades.
Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said that President Vladimir Zelensky intended to hold a serious conversation on Nord Stream 2 with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Nord Stream 2 is a gas pipeline with two routes. The length of each of them is 1.2 thousand km. They stretch from the port of Ust-Luga (Leningrad region) to the German Greifswald. The total capacity of the pipeline will be 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year. This project is actively opposed by the United States, which has previously promoted its liquefied natural gas in the European Union.
In addition, the project has other opponents, including Ukraine, which fears a disruption of Russian gas transit through its territory.
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinkon told ARD television in June that talks were under way between Washington and Berlin over the possible consequences of the commissioning of Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
“The United States, Germany and other Western countries are taking all possible measures to prevent Russia from using the Nord Stream 2 pipeline as a tool to put pressure on Ukraine and other Eastern European countries.” Blinkon said in an interview with German journalist Ingo Zamperoni.
Asked what the United States expects in return for refusing to impose additional sanctions on Nord Stream 2, the US Secretary of State said that the United States and Germany were discussing the issue.
“I think it is very important that we, together with Germany and our other allies, take very concrete measures to ensure that Russia cannot use this pipeline as a tool of coercion. As a weapon against Ukraine, against other Eastern European countries. and – if things have gone in that direction – against Europe itself, because of the growing dependence on Russian oil and gas. ” Blinkon pointed out.
He added that the two sides are now discussing a number of very concrete measures and expressed hope that an agreement on them would be reached in the coming weeks.
The secretary of state added that it was unclear whether the allies would be able to clarify all the details before German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s upcoming visit to the United States, but reiterated that Washington and Berlin wanted to conclude “very reliable and concrete agreements” that would ensure the protection of Ukraine and Europe “from this pipeline and from excessive dependence on Russia”.
Earlier, at a press conference in Berlin, Blinkon promised that every effort would be made to ensure that the Kremlin could use energy exports to Europe as a coercive tool. However, he noted that there are still disagreements with Germany over the nearly completed Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.