Head of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Great Britain Called Russia an Unreliable Partner and Urged EU to Boycott Nord Stream-2

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Great Britain Liz Trass called on the European Union to study Russia’s dependence on gas supplies, strengthen ties with other like-minded countries and unite to block the commissioning of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea.

She wrote about this in a guest article for the Sunday Telegraph.

“It (gas pipeline – ed.) threatens to support European security, allowing Russia to tighten control over those countries that depend on its gas, despite the pandemic, which reminds us of the existence of different supply chains to avoid strategic control from unreliable partners”, said the Minister.

She added that “at this critical time”, investment and trade ties should be deepened with countries that maintain a proper and prosperous free market economy.

Meanwhile, the Federal Agency for the German Network has not yet made a decision on Ukraine’s request to be involved in the Nord Stream-2 gas certification process. Two Ukrainian state-owned companies, Naftogaz of Ukraine and the Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine, applied to join the process.

The Ukrainian side emphasizes that Nord Stream-2 is not certified, its full compliance with European law may not be ensured. This is a rule according to which a company that transports gas cannot extract and supply it. The operator of the gas pipeline Nord Stream-2 AG is currently owned by the Russian monopoly “Gazprom”. In Ukraine, it will depend on the pipeline from a Russian company, and the current gas crisis in Europe and the sharp record rise in the price of natural gas are called blackmail by the Ukrainian authorities for the certification of the Russian pipeline.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his readiness to start gas supplies through Nord Stream-2 the day after receiving permission from the German regulator.

Some experts say that certification of this pipeline  may be delayed until May next year.

It is suggested that in Ukraine and Poland, Nord Stream-2 is seen as a geopolitical project that poses a political and economic threat. At the same time, the German government emphasizes that it supports the preservation of Ukraine’s status as a transit country for Russian gas to Europe and will not allow the Russian Federation to use gas as a weapon.

Bohdan Marusyak