The head of Naftogaz Ukrainy, Yuriy Vitrenko, said that the launch of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline makes Kiev more vulnerable to "Russian invasion."

Vitrenko expressed this opinion in an interview with the Financial Times.

"If there is no physical transit of gas through Ukraine, this increases the chances of a full-scale war between Russia and Ukraine with all its consequences," RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.

According to Vitrenko, the commissioning of the Russian gas pipeline will supposedly relieve Moscow of the deterrent factor.

In turn, the head of the Ukrainian GTS Operator, Serhiy Makogon, claims that Gazprom has cut gas transit through Ukraine by another third.

“Since November 1, transit through Ukraine has once again decreased - to 57 million cubic meters per day,” he said.

Makogon also said that the German regulator is studying the applications filed by Ukraine for participation in the certification of Nord Stream-2.

Ukraine submitted the corresponding application on October 20.

According to Makogon, in this way Ukraine is trying to resist the implementation of the Nord Stream 2 project, which, according to the Ukrainian side, is allegedly geopolitical, “carries risks to Ukraine’s national security” and threatens the security of gas supplies to Europe.

The same application was previously submitted to the German regulator by Naftogaz of Ukraine.

Vitrenko explained this by the desire to prove the impossibility of certification of the gas pipeline, since he believes that its compliance with European legislation is not ensured. 

Senator from Crimea Olga Kovitidi, in a conversation with RT, noted that the Ukrainian authorities need to start thinking about the people living in this country and stop spinning the "windmills of the Russian threat."

“Blackmailing Russia is also a bad idea, there will be no more Russian gas, the plundered transit communications need to be repaired, the economy also needs to be dealt with at least periodically, because Ukrainians do not become happier and richer from such an unprofessional policy in the field of public administration,” the senator emphasized.

In turn, political scientist Ruslan Balbek expressed the opinion that Kiev is trying to justify its inability to resolve the issue with the supply of Russian energy resources.

“That is why such statements are made to show how great the value of Ukraine as a transit country is.

But this option has already set the teeth on edge.

The whole world has heard about the Russian invasion since 2014.

About how Russia is trying to absorb Ukrainian gas assets - this song has been since 2006, "he said in an interview with RT.

  • Reuters

  • © Gleb Garanich

Let us remind you that Ukraine and a number of Western countries oppose the operation of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

In particular, Washington and Kiev call the project "a threat to European economic security." 

Russia has repeatedly denied such accusations.

Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov emphasized that the pipeline is "an exclusively commercial project that cannot pose any threat to anyone."

The German Ministry of Economy and Energy said that Nord Stream 2 provides more opportunities for transporting gas to Europe.

At the same time, an agreement between Moscow and Kiev on the transit of Russian gas through Ukrainian territory expires in 2024. Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that Russia is ready to continue gas transit through Ukraine after 2024. At the same time, the president stressed that Russia must understand the volume of purchases of Russian gas in Europe. 

On October 6, during a meeting on energy development, Putin noted that Gazprom fully fulfills Russia's contractual obligations for deliveries through the Ukrainian gas transportation system.

He stressed that, according to Gazprom, it would be more profitable for the company to pay a fine to Ukraine, but to increase the volume of pumping through the new systems, but urged not to do this, so as not to undermine the credibility of the Russian company.

The President also urged not to put Ukraine in a difficult position, "despite all the moments associated with Russian-Ukrainian relations today."

  • RIA News

  • © Evgeny Paulin

Meanwhile, Putin drew attention to the risks of an increase in pumping volumes due to the fact that Ukraine "has not been repaired for decades".

According to him, the deterioration of the Ukrainian gas transportation system is about 80%, but "no one wants to listen to or hear anything, everyone is just determined to blame Russia for something."

Vladimir Olenchenko, senior researcher at the Center for European Studies at the IMEMO RAS, in a conversation with RT, drew attention to the fact that the Ukrainian authorities regularly express their displeasure with Russia, but are not capable of a constructive exchange of views, and therefore it is difficult for Russia to conduct a dialogue with Kiev.

“As a rule, these persons, from the President of Ukraine to the heads of economic structures, snatch some fact from European life or the life of Russia and begin to construct a pseudo-threat from it for Ukraine.

They begin to turn to their sponsors, patrons: to the EU countries, to the United States and demand that this threat be averted, although it does not exist.

In this regard, it is difficult for us to maintain a dialogue, ”he said.

The expert expressed the hope that an example of Moldova would be a positive for Ukraine, which switched to a dialogue, indicated its specific wishes, “heard the wishes, and in the end a compromise solution was found”.

“Therefore, this is a very useful example for Ukraine.

Nobody prevents Ukraine from taking advantage of the Moldovan example and trying to start a dialogue too, ”he concluded.

On November 1, the press secretary of the Moldovagaz enterprise, Alexander Barbov, announced the start of gas supplies to Moldova under a new contract with Gazprom. 

“Its cost in November is determined according to the price calculation formula reached in negotiations with Gazprom.

Gas is supplied via the previous route, through the territory of Ukraine, ”said Barbov.

Let us remind you that Moldova and Gazprom could not agree on the terms of a new contract for about a month.

It was possible to conclude it only on October 29.

The contract was extended for 5 years on mutually beneficial terms.

By May 1, 2022, Russia and Moldova will sign an agreement on reimbursement of the debt accumulated by Moldovagaz, said Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Andrei Spinu.