MOSCOW, August 28. /TASS/. The statements US President Donald Trump made about the Nord Stream-2 project are indicative of Washington’s intention to make the EU finance the construction of the expensive infrastructure for the supplies of American liquefied natural gas (LNG), Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Slovakia’s Pravda newspaper.
The goal of Trump’s statement is clear to Moscow, the diplomat said.
"It implies promotion of American economic and energy interests in Europe, in particular, making the EU countries finance the construction of an expensive infrastructure and start buying liquefied natural gas from the US, which is 30-40% more expensive than the pipeline gas from Russia. It is up to Europeans to decide which option they like more," the minister said.
Lavrov reiterated that Nord Stream-2 is a purely commercial project.
"The implementation of the project is aimed at diversification of gas supply routes and removal of transit risks. Ultimately, it is aimed at meeting the growing demand of European economies for energy resources, strengthening energy security of the entire European continent," he noted.
"By the way, it is also to increase the level of positive economic interdependence of Russia and the EU, which underlie mutually beneficial relations and stability on the European continent," Lavrov added.
In July, attending the NATO summit in Brussels, Trump criticized those countries of the alliance that are participating in the Nord Stream-2 project. In particular, he called Germany "a captive of Russia."
Washington openly opposes the construction of the Nord Stream-2 pipeline and is trying to block this project. Last year, Washington adopted the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which provides for the possibility of applying unilateral restrictive measures, in particular with regard to the companies involved in the Nord Stream-2 project.