The agreement between the United States of America and Germany on "Nord Stream 2" "raises serious questions", as well as misunderstanding "in terms of political attacks" against Russia.
This was stated by the Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov.
The hostility towards Moscow runs counter to the spirit of the June 16 talks in Geneva between Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden, he said.
“Attempts to present us as an aggressor and a country conducting“ malicious ”activities have long become the hallmark of Russophobes.
Threats against us are groundless and useless.
We do not accept such rhetoric, just as we cannot accept the practice of illegitimate unilateral sanctions.
Only the UN Security Council has a mandate for this, ”said Antonov, quoted by the press service of the Russian Embassy.
The diplomat noted that Russia has proved that it is a reliable partner of Europe and other consumers of domestic hydrocarbons, since for many years it has been building honest cooperation with them.
“We have never imposed our supplies on anyone, did not use energy resources as an instrument of political pressure and did not try to solve any narrowly opportunistic goals attributed to us.
We reject any accusations in this regard.
We see in such attempts nothing more than unfair competition, ”the ambassador explained.
Antonov once again recalled that Nord Stream 2, like any other similar energy project, is being implemented within the framework of commercial agreements with interested countries: “Russia is ready to supply exactly as much hydrocarbons as consumers need”.
Antonov's position was supported by his colleague, Russian Ambassador to Germany Sergei Nechaev.
He also pointed out that Russia is not a country that will tolerate ultimatums.
“We are able to determine our policy, including energy, sovereignly, without outside interference, based on our own interests and the experience of many years of mutually beneficial cooperation with foreign partners,” TASS quotes him.
Also, according to him, the style of the agreement between Berlin and Washington is unacceptable.
He stressed that the document of the two countries is filled with "odious passages about the aggression and destructive activities of Russia."
Reuters
© Stine Jacobsen
On Wednesday, July 21, Berlin and Washington announced the Nord Stream 2 deal.
For example, the United States has recognized that sanctions pressure will not be able to stop the implementation of the project, which is almost completed.
Nord Stream 2 is 99% complete.
The idea that (one could) say or do something in order to stop it is not possible (for implementation in practice), ”US President Joe Biden is quoted by TASS.
At the same time, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki indicated that Washington, in order to fulfill its obligations, can apply restrictive measures against participants in the Nord Stream 2 AG project, if required.
As US Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland explained, Germany under the agreements pledged to insist that the EU take various measures, including sanctions, to restrict the export of Russian energy resources if Moscow uses the energy sector as a weapon.
"The second condition of this agreement is to support a 10-year extension of the agreement between Russia and Ukraine, which expires in 2024," she said, speaking at a hearing at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
In addition, the Federal Republic of Germany has undertaken to seek this extension from Russia.
In addition, Berlin is to create a $ 1 billion green fund to support Ukraine's energy security, with $ 175 million to be donated at the first stage.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he was relieved that Berlin and Washington had managed to reach a constructive solution on Nord Stream 2.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Joe Biden
Reuters
© Tom Brenner
After the announcement of the agreement between the United States and the Federal Republic of Germany, German Chancellor Angela Merkel informed Russian President Vladimir Putin about her talks with Joe Biden over Nord Stream 2 during her visit to Washington.
“The leaders are satisfied with the approaching completion of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
The President of Russia noted the consistent commitment of the German side to the implementation of this project, which is of an exclusively commercial nature and is aimed at strengthening the energy security of Germany and the European Union, "the Kremlin press service quotes.
Also, Putin and Merkel discussed the possibility of extending the agreement on the transportation of gas through Ukrainian territory after 2024.
At the same time, on the morning of July 22, Kiev called on the United States to continue the sanctions policy against Nord Stream 2.
This is stated in an open letter from the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Dmitry Razumkov to the Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi.
According to the Ukrainian politician, Russia, through this project, is allegedly aimed at making European countries dependent on their gas.
"Buying gas from Russia is not a policy at all, but a pure economy."
The Nord Stream 2 project is purely economic in nature, political goals should not be interfered with, says Boris Gladkikh, a member of the State Duma Committee on Energy, stressing that Russia has never used energy as a means of pressure on other countries.
“The German economy needs energy resources and a project like Nord Stream 2, it was clear a few years ago.
By itself, the costly component of using pipeline gas is many times more profitable than all the other resources offered, including from the United States.
Therefore, German business understands that it is profitable.
The German economy and the country's leadership will not dismiss this issue one way or another, ”added the interlocutor of RT.
In turn, Professor of the Department of Comparative Political Science of the RUDN University Yuri Pochta noted that the German authorities were able to protect their own interests in the energy sector.
“Despite years of pressure, the Germans ultimately insisted on their own, defending their economic interests and their sovereignty.
And we reached an agreement in which a vague promise was given to the Ukrainian leadership, which is expressed in such a form that it is very difficult to imagine how it will be implemented.
Because buying gas from Russia is not a policy for Germany, but a pure economy, ”the expert explained in an interview with RT.
As Leonid Slutsky, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, noted, Russia did not refuse gas transit through Ukraine, but the issue of extending the current agreement depends solely on the agreements between Moscow and Kiev.
“At the same time, our partners need to clearly understand that we are not someone's vassals, we have neither a suzerain nor a big brother. We are a sovereign state that does not accept dictates from outside, especially in economic matters. We will proceed from this, ”RIA Novosti quotes him.