Completion of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline construction will significantly weaken Ukraine, Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Reznikov claimed in an article published in The Wall Street Journal Thursday.
According to him, the successful completion of the project "will have entirely predictable consequences for" Ukraine’s "national security." "Ukraine will be irreparably weakened as soon as Russia has a new direct gas link to Germany," Reznikov believes.
The deputy prime minister notes that Ukraine will be decoupled from Western Europe from the energy security point of view after Nord Stream 2 is launched. According to him, in this case Moscow will not have to keep in mind that "a large percentage of Russia’s gas reaches Europe through Ukraine." "If Nord Stream 2 is built, this consideration will be null and void," he added.
Reznikov argues that Germany has no commercial need for another gas pipeline, noting that Berlin would win little while Kiev can lose billions of dollars’ worth of transit. At the same time, the official assures that Ukraine in this case comes from security concerns rather than financial motivation.
