German economic minister candidate, co-chairman of the Union 90 / Greens party Robert Habek criticized the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.

Nord Stream 2 has never been a purely private economic project, Khabek said.

"This is a strategic project that puts pressure on Ukraine and increases the dependence of German politics."

As the newspaper notes, the Federal Network Agency of Germany (BNA), which recently suspended the certification process of the gas pipeline, will also transfer to the post of Minister of Economy under the supervision of Habek.

Earlier, on November 24, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba called on the new ruling coalition in Germany, which now consists of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), the Greens and the Free Democratic Party (FDP), to take a tougher stance on Nord Stream 2 ...

He stated this in a commentary to the RBK-Ukraine agency.

“The project certification process must fully comply not only with the letter, but also with the spirit of European legislation,” Kuleba said.

On the same day, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) published a report stating that the commissioning of Nord Stream 2 "by 2024 will lead to an annual reduction in Ukraine's revenues from gas transit by about $ 1.2 billion."

“Over the past five years, for providing Gazprom with the opportunity to operate its gas transmission networks, Ukraine has received an average of slightly more than 2.5 billion US dollars per year,” the document says.

The IMF expects that in 2021 Kiev will receive about 40% less for gas transit than in previous years.

  • IMF Symbols

  • Reuters

  • © Yuri Gripas

The fund's report also emphasizes that the upcoming completion of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the future "may increase Ukraine's vulnerability in terms of energy security."

"Frivolous accusations"

As noted by Nikita Danyuk, Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasts of the RUDN University, member of the Public Chamber of Russia, the criticism of the candidate for the Minister of Economy of Germany about Nord Stream 2 is pure populism.

"Khabek's unfounded accusations against the gas pipeline, including the statement that the project allegedly increases the dependence of German politics, are nothing more than words and an attempt to set up the already formed government coalition of Germany against Nord Stream 2," the analyst emphasized in an interview with RT ...

According to Danyuk, in fact, the launch of the pipeline is an exclusively commercial project, which is beneficial primarily to Germany, since it turns it into a kind of gas hub capable of supplying the whole of Europe with blue fuel.

As for the statement of Khabek about the alleged pressure from the "Nord Stream - 2" on Ukraine, it also does not stand up to criticism, the expert believes.

According to him, it was the actions of the Ukrainian authorities that pushed the Russian leadership to look for additional ways to deliver gas to Europe.

“Neither Russia nor its new gas pipeline is to blame for the fact that Kiev is not a reliable partner who can turn the valves very capriciously or simply steal gas.

Ukraine tried to use its territorial position as a tool of blackmail.

Moscow suffered colossal losses from all this.

And the point is precisely the economic feasibility of gas transit through Ukraine in large volumes, ”Danyuk explained.

In addition, according to the analyst, it is unsafe, since the Ukrainian gas transportation system "is worn out and needs to be modernized as soon as possible."

In turn, Deputy Director General for Gas Issues of the National Energy Security Fund Aleksey Grivach, in a conversation with RT, noted that the figures given in the IMF report speak of "a decrease in excess profits that Kiev derived from the position of an exclusive transit country."

“These earnings have dropped already this year, that is, even before the launch of the new pipeline.

For many years, Ukraine has done everything possible and impossible to lose the transit of Russian gas.

And now they are running around in Kiev and shouting that the Russian Federation is depriving them of transit payments, ”the analyst said.

At the same time, Grivach emphasized, the Ukrainian side is not even making attempts to establish a constructive dialogue on transit on mutually beneficial terms.

"Kiev is not investing in its GTS, built in Soviet times and now in need of maintaining a working condition," the expert added.

As for the figure of Habek, who stood up for Kiev, the candidate for the German economy minister from the Greens, like most other representatives of this political force, is "a conductor of US interests in Germany," said Nikita Danyuk.

  • Nord Stream 2 symbols

  • globallookpress.com

  • © Stefan Sauer / dpa

“And Habek’s statements, as well as almost the entire agenda of the Greens in general, are nothing more than a cover to mask the American trail.

After all, gas is one of the most environmentally friendly types of fuel.

Having abandoned it, Germany will be forced to increase the production of coal, which is much more harmful in terms of emissions into the environment.

But this does not stop the greens, they blindly follow the course of Washington, ”the expert said.

Gas obsession

Recall that the United States has consistently opposed the commissioning of Nord Stream 2.

Back in 2019, the US State Department initiated the adoption of the so-called European Energy Security Protection Act (PEESA), on the basis of which Washington now regularly imposes sanctions against people and companies involved in the gas project.

For example, on November 23, the US Treasury Department imposed new sanctions, now against the Transadria company and the Marlin vessel for their involvement in the project. 

The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the American restrictions.

According to Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, the sanctions imposed by the US administration look "like a manifestation of a real obsession."

“After all, the project is at the stage of completion of preparations for commissioning.

The arguments about the exclusively commercial nature of this gas pipeline, which is really extremely important for stable energy supply and maintaining the competitiveness of Germany and the European Union as a whole, are well known, ”she said during the briefing.

Zakharova also stressed that the unilateral anti-Russian sanctions are illegitimate and hit, among other things, the US allies - Germany and the EU.

"The situation confirms that, to put it mildly, in principle, they do not pay attention to the interests of their own colleagues in Washington and are little concerned about them," said the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

She also drew attention to Washington's hypocritical policy towards Moscow.

“The United States is erecting a barrier with one hand, and doing it very hypocritically, for exporting Russian energy resources to the European market, and stretching out its other hand, persuading us and other producing countries to“ pump ”more in order to bring down prices,” said Zakharova.

"We'll have to reckon"

According to Nikita Danyuk, the Greens, for the most part supporting the aggressive course of the United States towards Nord Stream 2, after gaining a number of key positions in the German government, including the positions of Foreign Minister and Minister of Economy, will try to prevent the certification of the gas pipeline.

In addition, the expert admitted a situation in which Nord Stream 2 will initially not be launched at full capacity.

“In total, it can transport 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year.

At first, Berlin will probably allow about 50% of it to be used.

However, even in such conditions, given the current prices for natural gas and economic growth in the post-pandemic period, Nord Stream 2 will pay off in a few years, "the analyst said.

However, it will not be possible to completely stop the implementation of the project for the greens in Germany, Danyuk is sure.

  • Nord Stream 2 in Germany

  • globallookpress.com

  • © Stefan Sauer / dpa

“German business, which until this moment was more in the shadows and did not so often cast its voice, now, during the pandemic, will rebel very strongly if the greens continue to oppress Nord Stream 2.

In addition, due to the energy crisis in Europe and the expectedly cold winter, the economy of Germany and other European countries may collapse if the gas pipeline does not work, ”the expert explained.

In turn, Aleksey Grivach predicts that the certification process for Nord Stream 2 will be completed in Germany in the coming months.

“If the winter is cold, the gas pipeline can be put into operation already this heating season.

Russia and its partners built it and prepared it for work, despite the colossal opposition of the United States and its satellites.

At the same time, the current situation is such that the earliest possible launch of Nord Stream-2 is needed, first of all, by European and German consumers.

Therefore, the green, if they want to stay in power, will have to reckon with this, ”the analyst concluded.