REUTERS
Additional sanctions may be imposed to increase pressure on Russia.
Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of (MFA) for European Integration Olena Zerkal says the amendments to the EU Gas Directive, which will regulate, among other things, the Nord Stream 2 project, may lead to Russia's more aggressive behavior.
"There is a risk that the extension of the EU's requirements to Nord Stream 2 will make the behavior of the Russian Federation even more aggressive, which requires more pressure on Russia, including imposition of possible sanctions," she wrote on Facebook.
According to Zerkal, the adoption of amendments to the Gas Directive does not remove the risk associated with the safety of the construction of the gas pipeline bypassing Ukraine.
Read alsoEU agrees on amendments to Gas Directive, which will regulate, among others, Nord Stream 2
"We've seen the Russian Federation's very aggressive reaction to attempts to regulate Nord Stream 2, up to the statements like 'We'll complete the Nord Stream construction and deal with Ukraine.' Now, this is a clear slogan for Russian propaganda," she added.
Zerkal says the amendments were exactly what Ukraine demanded. Now, there is a legal framework, within which the operation of Nord Stream 2 is possible only if it complies with the EU's laws. The next task is to ensure the implementation of the said amendments.
"As part of the tri-dialogue, it was decided how the European Commission can ensure effective control over the observance of EU rights with regard to gas pipelines from third countries," she said.
Commenting on the situation of the French-German compromise reached, Zerkal noted that it was decided that it was Germany that should deal with the economic aspects of the Nord Stream 2 operation, since it is the state through which the gas pipeline will "enter" the EU.
"Many have perceived it [the compromise] as betrayal, but this is a step towards a new consensus in the EU as a whole, which means that Nord Stream 2 has no political privileges and should be strictly evaluated from all aspects, namely regulatory, economic and, of course, security ones," she said.
The official added it was an important shift, which takes into account Ukraine's interests and makes its position stronger. However, none of the risks has been eliminated.
As UNIAN reported earlier, France and Germany on February 8 reached a compromise that allowed participants in the talks to unblock the process of amending the EU Gas Directive.
Foreign media reported that the compromise would let German regulatory officials oversee projects like Nord Stream 2, but with EU regulators having the final say.
Ukraine opposes the Nord Stream 2 project, which is being built by Russia, as it will lose revenue from a subsequent decline in gas transit shipments across Ukrainian territory. The second reason is energy security.