The Russian Foreign Ministry called on the United States to stop trying to politicize Nord Stream 2. The ministry noted that the gas pipeline is a purely commercial project.

In this way, the Foreign Ministry responded to the publication of the US State Department on Twitter. The US agency quoted US Energy Secretary Rick Perry saying that the goal of Nord Stream 2 is to drive a stake in the heart of Europe’s security and stability.

Stop trying to politicize a purely commercial project. We remind you that the main objective of the joint Nord Stream-2 partnership with European partners is to diversify gas supply routes, eliminate transit risks, and thereby strengthen Europe’s energy security

- Russian Foreign Ministry 🇷🇺 (@MID_RF) October 7, 2019

“Stop trying to politicize a purely commercial project. We remind you that the main objective of the joint Nord Stream 2 partnership with European partners is to diversify gas supply routes, eliminate transit risks and thereby strengthen Europe’s energy security, ”the Russian Foreign Ministry replied to the US agency.

Earlier, the US Secretary of Energy said that the launch of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline would strengthen Russia's influence on European countries' policies and their dependence on natural gas supplies from Russia. He said this during an international conference on Euro-Atlantic energy cooperation in the capital of Lithuania.

Nord Stream 2 will deliver a crushing blow to Europe’s energy diversity and security. This will strengthen Russia's influence on European foreign policy. Europe will become more dependent on supply disruptions, ”TASS quoted the American minister as saying.

Recall that Nord Stream 2 is two strands of a gas pipeline with a total capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year, directed from the Russian coast in the Baltic Sea to Germany. At the beginning of October, Gazprom announced that the gas pipeline was built at 83%. It is expected that its operation will begin before the end of 2019.

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As an alternative to this scenario, Perry proposed setting up supplies of liquefied natural gas from the United States.

“The energy security of Europe could be strengthened by the supply of liquefied natural gas from the United States,” the agency quoted him as saying.

In his speech, the American minister also mentioned the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine. According to Perry, the launch of the Nord Stream 2 and Turkish Stream pipelines will allow Russia to do without fuel transit through Ukrainian territory.

“Moscow will be able to stop such transit by the end of the current decade,” he explained his point of view.

Recall that earlier in the trilateral negotiations in Brussels, Russia proposed to extend the agreement on gas transit through the territory of Ukraine, if by January 1, 2020 Kiev could not implement the new requirements of the European Union.

“We discussed a lot of issues, and specific issues related primarily to gas supplies to Ukraine. We believe that this is a very important issue in order to talk about gas transit and the volumes that will be from 2020, ”said Alexander Novak, the head of the Russian Ministry of Energy, following the trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the European Union.

“European colleagues know how to count”

Perry also said that the United States plans to more actively cooperate in energy with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. According to him, Washington intends to form four working groups that will deal with energy efficiency and renewable resources, nuclear energy, security of supply and the protection of critical infrastructure.

Commenting on Minister Perry’s statements, Igor Anansky, first deputy chairman of the State Duma’s committee on energy, suggested that for Europe, gas through Nord Stream-2 would be 25-30% cheaper than US LNG.

“And this is a lot of money, taking into account the amount of gas that Europe consumes. It is clear that European colleagues can count and see their benefit in gas from Russia, and not in LNG from the USA. They focus specifically on their economy, residents and do everything for the benefit of their states, not the United States, ”the parliamentarian said in an interview with RT.

The MP noted that European states will not work at their own expense. He also stressed that Europe remembers the positive experience of business relations with Russia.

“Everyone knows that Russia always fulfills its obligations, so our gas is much more profitable. Our European friends understand this, ”Ananski concluded.

"Simple choice"

Currently, the last obstacle to the construction of Nord Stream 2 is the permission of Denmark.

As Russian Minister of Energy Alexander Novak stated on October 4, the chances of obtaining Danish permission to lay a section of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the territorial waters of the state still remain.

“According to the information that we have now, there are still chances that Danish permission will be obtained to lay a subsea gas pipeline section in its exclusive economic zone,” Novak said in an interview with Business FM radio station.

The Minister noted that the deadlines for considering the relevant application related to routes through the exclusive economic zone of the kingdom have already passed. According to him, there are no reasons for refusing the application, in connection with which there is hope for a country’s permission and the opinion that “a decision must be made”.

Shortly before that, Gazprom noted that the gas pipeline could be completed without the permission of Denmark. In this case, as the head of the board of directors of the company, Viktor Zubkov, said, the highway will bypass the country through neutral waters.

In turn, the director of the Economic Development Fund, Sergei Pikin, is confident that the ongoing support of the gas pipeline by key European countries suggests that the project will be launched.

Nord Stream 2 is supported by key European countries, starting with Germany and ending with Austria and France. Therefore, there are no questions about implementation, ”the expert assured in an interview with RT.

Statements of the American side, the expert is sure, should be considered as “usual pressure and marketing”.

“These statements are nothing new. This is standard rhetoric. Nord Stream 2 continues to be built and will be completed, ”Pikin said. He believes that the further development of the situation will be determined by the commercial component.

“If the United States can now crush with sanctions and statements, then the Europeans will make a very simple choice - whoever is cheaper, they will buy from that,” the expert concluded.