Putin and Merkel discuss Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline
During a telephone conversation, Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the possibilities of Russian gas transit through Ukraine in 2020 and the implementation of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, reports the Kremlin's press service.
Putin and Merkel also positively assessed the Normandy Four Summit, which was held in Paris on December 9.
Also, the leaders discussed the situation in Libya. According to the report, the parties noted the need to resume a peaceful dialogue to prevent the deterioration of the security situation in the country.
The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline with a capacity of 55 billion cubic meters per year will pass along the bottom of the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany. The total length of the two lines of the pipeline should be 1224 km. Western countries reacted negatively to the idea of building the pipeline. In particular, the US Congress included the sanctions against the Russian energy industry in the military budget for 2020 because of the project. According to Republican Senator for Texas Ted Cruz, US sanctions will be able to delay the construction of the pipeline for more than a year. At the same time, he noted that if sanctions are imposed on companies that participate in the construction of the Nord Stream 2, the project will stop, since Russia does not have the technology to lay a gas pipeline under the sea.
Germany, in turn, asked the US not to impose sanctions against the Russian pipeline. According to the German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, these sanctions will be an intrusion in European affairs.
Ukraine said that US sanctions related to the Russian gas project might be an additional tool for Kyiv in negotiations with Moscow on gas transit. The current contract for Russian gas supplies through Ukraine expires at the end of 2019. Now the parties are negotiating a new contract. One of the Russian gas giant Gazprom's demands is the abandoning of mutual claims and stop of trial proceedings. However, Kyiv insists on revising the tariffs. Ukrainian Naftogaz company also expressed readiness to consider the possibility of Gazprom's repayment of $3 billion debt, recognized by the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, with gas.