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Semerak says Putin is trying to divide Europe, supporting various radical political forces in different countries.
The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine intends to join the lawsuit lodged by the German Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) against Russian gas monopoly Gazprom's subsidiaries and their Nord Stream 2 project, a new gas pipeline bypassing Ukraine.
"The Ministry of Ecology intends to join the lawsuit of German environmentalists [NABU] against Gazprom and Nord Stream 2. They seek a ban on the construction of Nord Stream 2," Ukraine's Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Ostap Semerak wrote on Facebook on March 5.
"Putin is trying to divide Europe, through showing animation with missiles or resorting to outright bribery of European citizens, while supporting various radical political forces in different countries. He even tried to enlist support of an Austrian chancellor," the minister said.
According to Semerak, Europe remains principled in pursuing its security policy, because the rejection of the Nord Stream 2 is, among other things, the issue of regional security.
"Therefore, there is every opportunity to stop this chimera design so that it lives and thrives exclusively in the heads of the two Kremlin guys," the minister added.
As UNIAN reported, CEO of the national oil and gas company Naftogaz of Ukraine Andriy Kobolyev earlier said the German government in March of 2018 might grant Russian companies a final permit for the construction of North Stream 2.
UNIAN memo. The Nord Stream 2 project involves the construction of two strings of a gas pipeline with a total capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas a year from the Russian coast via the Baltic Sea to Germany. A new pipeline is expected to be built next to Nord Stream 1.
According to Kobolyev, Nord Stream 2 in no way contributes to the diversification of gas supplies to the EU and does not provide the European Union with access to new sources of gas. Moreover, the pipeline could deprive Ukraine of transit revenue, which is expected to reach about US$3 billion by the end of 2017. The U.S. and Poland also oppose the construction of this pipeline.