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US reiterates its stance against construction of Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline

Washington repeatedly opposed the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and tried blocking it

© Alexey Philippov/TASS

WASHINGTON, July 25. /TASS/. The United States has reiterated its stance against the implementation of Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, US Department of State Spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement.

According to the statement, US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Frank Fannon paid a visit to Ukraine on July 22-24 and held meetings in the country’s capital of Kiev with President Pyotr Poroshenko, Prime Minister Vladimir Groisman, chairpersons of the country’s parliament, the Verkovna Rada and other state officials.

Nauert stated that during the meetings "Assistant Secretary Fannon stressed the United States’ staunch opposition to Nord Stream 2 and broader Russian attempts to use energy to harm Ukraine and undermine European security."

"Assistant Secretary Fannon also discussed the critical importance of continued energy sector reforms to advance a transparent and competitive energy sector as key to the success of a stable, prosperous, democratic, and free Ukraine," according to the statement.

Washington repeatedly opposed the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and tried blocking it. Many experts attribute this to the US desire to push its liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the European market. According to experts, supplies of American LNG could be much more expensive for the European Union compared to the Russian natural gas deliveries.

Last year, the US authorities adopted the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). The bill provides for the possibility of imposing restrictions on companies, which are involved in the construction of the Nord Stream-2 pipeline.

The partners of Russia’s Gazprom in Nord Stream 2 are: Germany’s Wintershall and Uniper, Austria’s OMV, France’s Engie and Royal Dutch Shell (UK and the Netherlands).

On July 11, US President Trump strongly criticized NATO counties for approving the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. While talking to reporters ahead of a meeting with the NATO secretary general in Brussels, he bashed Germany, calling it "a captive of Russia."

Nord Stream 2 project

The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is scheduled to be put into operation in late 2019. Each of the pipeline’s two stretches will have a capacity of 27.5 bln cubic meters. The pipeline, set to run from the Russian coast along the Baltic Sea bed to the German shore, is expected to connect the Russian resource base with European customers. The total project cost of the Nord Stream 2 is estimated at €9.9 bln.

The gas pipeline will not cross transit countries such as Ukraine, Belarus and Poland, running through the exclusive economic zones and territorial waters of Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany.

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