The issues of Nord Stream 2 operation and the preservation of the transit of Russian gas through the territory of Ukraine should be included in the program of meetings in the Normandy format, said the head of the Ukrainian President's office Andriy Yermak, speaking at the YES Brainstorming conference in Kiev.

“We view the Nord Stream issue solely as a matter of Ukraine’s general security ... I am talking about this with my colleagues during Normandy format videoconferences, we think it is absolutely logical to add to the important issues of a ceasefire, a general settlement of the conflict, to the Normandy format - consideration of these issues ", - he said.

According to him, Kiev also expects that the guarantees received from the Western partners on the preservation of gas transit should be fixed in writing.

“And during the meeting with Federal Chancellor Merkel, and during the visit of President Zelensky to Washington, we really heard, especially from the American side, about the concrete steps that will be taken in the event that the“ hour of H ”comes.

But we still expect it to be on paper, ”the politician said.

  • Andrey Ermak

  • © www.president.gov.ua

In turn, the head of Naftogaz, Yuri Vitrenko, expressed the opinion that the United States could block the operation of the gas pipeline using restrictive measures: “If the US government imposes sanctions, then we believe that European companies will not buy gas through this pipeline.

Thus, Nord Stream 2 will not work. "

Yermak also said that Russia has allegedly already begun to use the new gas pipeline as a “weapon” against Ukraine: “If you had the opportunity to see prices yesterday ... during the auction, the price of the October gas futures on the TTF index exceeded $ 700 per thousand cubic meters, reaching € 57, EUR 25 per MWh ".

On September 10, the exchange price for gas in Europe crossed the next mark - $ 710 per thousand cubic meters, while in June the September futures on the TTF hub cost about $ 315.

As Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized the other day, this state of affairs is connected with the policy of the previous composition of the European Commission, which advocated market pricing.

At the same time, the head of state noted that the cost of Russian fuel is tied to the price of oil, therefore, fluctuations in the framework of long-term contracts are "softer."

“Under long-term contracts and our pricing principle, Gazprom does not sell at that price.

And those who agreed to conclude long-term contracts with us in Europe will only be able to rub their hands and rejoice, otherwise they would have to pay $ 650, while Gazprom sells to Germany for $ 220.

In any case, it was so recently.

With the rise in oil prices, this price will rise, but it will be a soft thing, ”Putin explained.

Meanwhile, according to analysts, Yermak's words about gas prices as a "weapon" against Ukraine indicate that the Kiev politician either does not understand enough about this topic, or deliberately distorts the facts.

“This statement is intended for the domestic Ukrainian consumer, who, like Yermak himself, does not understand anything about these issues.

First of all, prices in Europe are increasing due to the decision to liberalize energy markets, made in the late 2000s in the EU.

It is also influenced by the growth in the production of liquefied natural gas and, as a result, the growing interdependence of the European and Asian markets.

This process was especially influenced by the rise in prices in the Asian region, "said Andrei Frolov, deputy general director of the Institute of National Energy, in an interview with RT.

Kiev against

Throughout the entire construction period of Nord Stream 2, Ukraine was one of the main opponents of the project.

On this issue, Kiev was actively supported by the authorities of the United States, Poland and a number of other countries.

Analysts believe that such active opposition is due to the fear of the Ukrainian authorities to lose, after its launch, the privileged position of an important transit country for Russian gas to Europe, which Kiev has held for a long time.

  • Construction of Nord Stream 2

  • Reuters

  • © Nord Stream 2 / Axel Schmidt

However, in spite of everything, the gas pipeline was nevertheless completed, as reported on September 10 by Gazprom and the operator of the Nord Stream 2 AG project.

At the same time, on September 8, Bloomberg, citing sources, reported that Gazprom expects to begin supplying gas through the first string of Nord Stream 2 from October, and on the second - from December.

"Goodwill Needed"

Experts state that after attempts to stop the implementation of the project failed, Ukraine focused on preserving the transit of Russian blue fuel through its territory.

Thus, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during talks with US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, stated the importance of the early start of trilateral consultations with Berlin and Washington on the continuation of the transit of blue fuel through Ukrainian territory and "ensuring European energy security."

The issue of maintaining transit was also discussed at a meeting between Zelensky and Merkel in August.

The German side then declared that it understood the fears of the Ukrainians.

Subsequently, during her visit to Warsaw, the German Chancellor reaffirmed her position on the need to preserve gas transit through Ukraine.

  • Angela Merkel and Vladimir Zelensky

  • Reuters

  • © Ukrainian Presidential Press Service

The Americans also insist on the continuation of transit through Ukraine.

In July 2021, Angela Merkel visited the United States, where she entered into an agreement with President Joe Biden.

Under its terms, in particular, Germany pledged to seek an extension of the contract for the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine for another ten years after 2024 and promised to take action against Russia if Moscow starts using energy resources to put pressure on other countries.

In Moscow, such agreements were criticized.

Thus, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov noted that an agreement on the extension of transit can only be reached between Russia and Ukraine.

It is worth noting that Russia has never announced its intention to stop gas transit through Ukraine after the commissioning of Nord Stream 2 and the completion of the current Russian-Ukrainian agreement in 2024.

In particular, Vladimir Putin stressed in June that Moscow is ready to continue to transport gas through the Ukrainian GTS.

“In the next ten years, the volume of supplies to Europe may increase by an additional 50 billion (cubic meters. -

RT

).

Here you go, there is an opportunity to load the Ukrainian gas transportation system in the future, even after the expiration of our transit contract, - said the Russian leader.

“Everything is possible, and we are ready for this and we want it, but goodwill on the part of our Ukrainian partners is needed.”

Putin also recalled that earlier Ukraine itself created problems for cooperation with Russia in this area.

According to him, Kiev's monopoly position as a transit country allowed it to dictate prices for both Russian gas itself and its transit.

"No one will pay attention"

According to Andrei Frolov, any guarantees for Kiev on the issue of maintaining gas transit will be difficult to fix on paper, because the West, in fact, did not guarantee Ukraine anything on this issue.

“This requirement of Ermak is meaningless, because the declaration signed by Germany and the United States, which contains words about the inadmissibility of Russia's use of gas as a weapon, does not have any clear definitions in its text and, accordingly, requires clear and correct definitions.

In this context, Ukraine has no right to anything, ”Frolov explained.

  • Ukrainian GTS

  • © REUTERS / Gleb Garanich

According to political analysts, instead of asking for help from the West and trying to impose unilateral solutions on the transit issue, Kiev should negotiate with Moscow in order to reach a mutually beneficial solution, because the Russian Federation is open for dialogue on this issue.

“The will of Ukrainian politicians is aimed at making the country a legal dependent of Russia with the help of an appropriate document. But on such a basis, cooperation is impossible. What Kiev officials are now talking about seems extremely reasonable to them, but for everyone else these are just far-fetched and unreasonable demands, "Vladimir Olenchenko, a senior researcher at the Center for European Studies at the IMEMO RAS, said in an interview with RT.

Analysts also doubt that Kiev will be able to include the issue of Nord Stream 2 on the Normandy Four agenda, since this negotiating platform was created to resolve the conflict in Donbass.

In addition, negotiations in this format at the highest level have not been held for several years due to the fact that Kiev systematically fails to fulfill the agreements reached during previous meetings, experts remind.

In general, political scientists agree that the EU project "Nord Stream 2" is objectively beneficial, therefore the interests of Ukrainians and Europeans in this matter clearly do not coincide.

“In Europe, serious politicians and business have a slightly different view of what is happening, so no one will pay attention to these statements of Kiev. "Nord Stream 2" is beneficial for Berlin even more than for Moscow, because it will ensure the energy security of Germany, as well as other European countries, "Frolov summed up.