Kiev sees the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which will establish a direct gas transit route between Russia and Germany bypassing Ukraine, as a threat to the national and European energy security, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview to Bild Tuesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th June, 2019) Kiev sees the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which will establish a direct gas transit route between Russia and Germany bypassing Ukraine, as a threat to the national and European energy security, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview to Bild Tuesday.The interview came out ahead of Zelenskyy's meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.
"Ukrainians hope that Angela Merkel, as a powerful European and global influencer, will help my country stand against the challenges we face.�We will also need assistance in the deep structural reforms we are launching. We also see threats in the energy sector because of North Stream 2, that will damage Ukraine's and Europe's energy security," Zelenskyy said, when asked about what he expected from his meeting with Merkel.
He also called for keeping sanctions against Russia in place until the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine are restored.
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is a joint venture of Russia's Gazprom and five European companies. The pipeline construction is presently underway, with 58.7 percent of the pipes already laid in the Baltic Sea.
While Kiev and several EU states have repeatedly objected the construction, Germany has been consistent in endorsing the project. On May 31, Merkel reiterated her support for the Nord Stream 2 at a conference of the Federation of German Industries, saying the pipeline is a necessity for Germany given its aspirations to give up on nuclear and coal energy.
