Ukraine Ready To Challenge Germany In Court Over Nord Stream 2 Pipeline - Minister

KIEV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th November, 2019) Ukraine will challenge Germany in court if it tries to soften EU rules that bar Gazprom from pumping Russian gas through the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, a Ukrainian deputy trade minister said Thursday.

The European Commission amended in April its gas directive, which stipulates that a third country cannot own both the pipeline and gas imported into the EU market unless the conduit was built before May 23, 2019. Germany wants to push that deadline back to include the twin Russian pipeline.

"Such a decision would be in breach of that of the European Commission and German obligations and will definitely be challenged. The challenge may be filed by us or Poland or any other country," Taras Kachka told the European Pravda, a Ukrainian publication.

The pipeline is expected to become operational in the coming months. The twin strings will carry a total of 110 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year to Germany under the Baltic Sea. Ukraine is currently the main transit route for Russian gas to Europe and stands to lose billions of Dollars in transit fees.