Russia hopes for EU assistance with Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak said that Moscow hopes that with the support of its European partners, it will be able to settle the situation around the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany. Earlier, the construction of the gas pipeline was suspended due to US sanctions against contractors. "We are confident that in cooperation with European countries and the European Union, we will solve this problem and find a compromise," said Kozak on December 25, as quoted by Interfax.
According to the Russian Deputy Prime Minister, "key EU countries" are interested in "ensuring energy security at the necessary level," and "everyone understands that this is an economic project." The cost of gas that will be delivered through this pipeline will be 30 percent less than the price of liquefied natural gas in the United States, said Kozak.
Washington, in turn, speaks about the possible strengthening of the EU's dependence on Russian supplies. In September, US Energy Department published a forecast that gas production in Russia will increase by 40 percent to 34 trillion cubic feet (962 billion cubic meters) by 2050, and most of the raw materials will be exported to Europe and Asia.
In December, the United States imposed sanctions on companies involved in the construction of the Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream gas pipelines. As a result, the Swiss company AllSeas, which was working on the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, has suspended work and withdrew its vessels from the construction zone. 160 km of pipes should be laid to complete the gas pipeline.
At the same time, according to the Russian Kommersant newspaper, Gazprom can complete the construction of Nord Stream 2 independently. The Russian company has its pipe-laying vessel, Academician Chersky. But now the ship is in the port of Nakhodka and will be able to arrive in the Baltic Sea not earlier than a month.