US reiterates stance against Russia's construction of Nord Stream 2

Illustration photo: TASS

On July 25, TASS news agency reported that US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement that the US reiterated its stance against the implementation of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project.

According to the statement, US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Frank Fannon visited Ukraine from July 22-24, holding meetings in the country's capital Kiev with President Petro Poroshenko, Prime Minister Vladimir Groisman, the Verkovna Rada (Parliament) Chairmen and other state officials.

During the meetings, “Assistant Secretary Fannon emphasized his opposition to Nord Stream 2 and broader Russian efforts to use energy to harm Ukraine and undermine European security,” Nauert said.

“Assistant Secretary Fannon also discussed the critical importance of continuing energy sector reforms to promote a transparent and competitive energy sector, which is key to the success of a stable, prosperous, democratic, and free Ukraine,” the statement said.

Washington has repeatedly opposed the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and sought to block it. Many experts believe this is because the US wants to promote its liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the European market. According to experts, US LNG supplies to the European Union could be much more expensive than Russian natural gas transportation.

Last year, US officials passed the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which allows for restrictions to be placed on companies involved in the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

Russia's Gazprom Group's partners in Nord Stream 2 include: Germany's Wintershall and Uniper; Austria's OMV, France's Engie and Britain's and the Netherlands' Royal Dutch Shell.

On July 11, the US President strongly criticized NATO countries for supporting the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. Speaking to reporters ahead of a meeting with the NATO Secretary General in Brussels, he attacked Germany, calling the country “a prisoner of Russia.”

The Nord Stream 2 project is scheduled to come into operation by the end of 2019. Each of the two branches of the pipeline will have a capacity of up to 27.5 billion cubic meters. The pipeline is expected to run from the Russian coast along the bottom of the Baltic Sea to the German coast, connecting Russia's resource base with European customers. The total cost of the Nord Stream 2 project is estimated at 9.9 billion euros. The gas pipeline will bypass transit countries such as Ukraine, Belarus and Poland, but will run through the exclusive economic zones and territorial waters of Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany.