Russian Foreign Ministry: Nord Stream 2 completed, there is no point in U.S. sanctions

There is no point in Washington's sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 project as construction of the gas pipeline has been completed, head of the Department of Economic Cooperation of the Russian Foreign Ministry Dmitry Birichevsky said.

"To be honest, we see no point in Washington's sanctions policy in conditions when the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline has already been built", Sputnik cited the diplomat as saying.

Birichevsky added that the U.S. actions against the project are "contrary to the interests of most European countries". "We believe that the certification of the gas pipeline, its commissioning, and further use will be carried out on the basis of the legal norms in force in the EU", the diplomat added.

The diplomat also addressed the perspectives of gas transit through Ukraine after 2024, saying they will depend on gas supply agreements. "If we are talking about the perspectives of Russian gas transit through Ukraine after 2024, it again depends on the essence of agreements. It will be implemented in the framework of contracts reflecting supply and demand at the moment", Birichevsky said in the interview.

Birichevsky added that the European Union had taken a course to decrease the demand for gas, but the situation is actually the opposite, with demand and prices spiking, so it is difficult to make long-term forecasts. Russian gas is still in demand in Europe, he concluded.