German lawmaker: Nord Stream-2 pipeline not to make EU dependent on Russia

German lawmaker: Nord Stream-2 pipeline not to make EU dependent on Russia

Russia and Europe depend on each other in energy supplies and the situation will remain unchanged when the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is put into operation,Germany’s former federal minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety from 1998 to 2005, lawmaker for the German Green party Jurgen Trittin said.

"Saying that it will make us dependent on Russia would be incorrect," he pointed out in an interview with Spiegel Online. "The gas, which is being supplied via the pipeline, will result in mutual dependency, because the link between the supplier and the buyer is always strong," TASS cited Trittin as saying. "The supplier, however, is in a more dependent position, because the buyer may find other sources."

According to the lawmaker, it will be easier for Europe to find other suppliers of gas than for Russia to find other buyers. Trittin stressed that it was impossible for him to imagine circumstances under which Russia may decide to halt its gas deliveries to Europe.

He explained Washington’s pressure on the Nord Stream 2 project by "pursuing its economic interests and following the 'America First' principle in the energy policy," comparing the US ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, to a "gatekeeper" who is promoting sales of US gas extracted by hydraulic fracturing.

Speaking about the transit of Russian gas via the territory of Ukraine, Trittin said Ukrainian infrastructure was "prone to breakdowns," due to the lack of "necessary investment."

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