Polish Foreign Minister: Nord Stream 2 is killing Ukraine
Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz criticized the Russian-German gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 in an interview with the German publication Handelsblatt. He said the project threatens the security of Ukraine and indicates Germany’s anti-European position.
“The gas pipeline effectively neutralizes the sanctions and Nord Stream 2 is killing Ukraine. When the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine is stopped, this country will lose not only impressive profits but above all a guarantee of protection against another Russian aggression,” the Minister said, as quoted by Radio Poland.
Czaputowicz regrets the lack of a common European position in this matter. “Poland, the USA and the European Commission represent the pro-European position while Germany is anti-European. It is generally accepted that the Europe’s and Germany’s positions are identical, but that is not the case with Nord Stream 2,” said Jacek Czaputowicz.
Nord Stream 2 can begin operations in January 1, 2020. It is more than 1,200 km long and will be laid across the Baltic Sea, connecting the Russian gas suppliers with consumers in Europe. Its capacity is 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year. The project cost is estimated at almost 10 billion euros.
Ukraine is confident that the gas pipeline will not only harm the economy of Ukraine but also have disastrous economic and political consequences for all of Europe. However, Germany stated that they had no intention of abandoning this project.
On December 12, the European Parliament adopted a resolution that called for a halt of the construction of Nord Stream 2. The United States supported the resolution against the expansion of the Nord Stream 2 and urged Germany to listen to the concerns of its neighbors.