REUTERS
Ukraine's prime minister considers such a scenario unacceptable.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk says the possible actions of Germany's independent regulator on the preferential removal of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from the EU Gas Directive will allow Russia's Gazprom to abuse its monopoly position.
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"In case of preferential excluding of the gas pipeline from the EU Gas Directive, Gazprom is given an opportunity to abuse its monopoly position," he said at a meeting with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in Kyiv on November 19, according to the Cabinet's press service.
"However, we are receiving alarming signals about the possible exclusion by a German independent regulator of Nord Stream 2 from the EU's consensus-based Directive. I consider such a scenario unacceptable," the prime minister said.
Honcharuk is convinced that Nord Stream 2 is a political rather than business project aimed at strengthening Russia's influence on European countries.
"We count on the support of Germany and on its participation in the consultations that will help the transit of Russian gas to Europe continue via Ukraine on reasonable terms and in line with European practices," he summed up.
UNIAN memo. The Nord Stream 2 project envisages the construction and operation of two gas pipeline branches with a total throughput capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year from the coast of Russia through the Baltic Sea to Germany. It should connect Russia's Ust-Lug and Germany's Greifswald.
This new pipeline bypassing Ukraine is to be built next to the existing Nord Stream 1 pipeline. The construction of the pipeline should be completed before the end of 2019. The pipeline will be 1,220 km long.
The project is being implemented by Russia's Gazprom in alliance with European companies – ENGIE, OMV, Shell, Uniper, and Wintershall.
Ukraine stands against the construction of Nord Stream 2 as it will most likely lose its status of a gas transit country, while its potential revenue losses are estimated at US$3 billion annually. The project is also highly criticized by the U.S., Poland, and the Baltic States.