BERLIN, December 22. /TASS/. The United States pursues its own energy interests in Europe, which explains their pressure in regards to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, Germany's former chancellor Gerhard Schroeder told Welt Am Sontag newspaper.

"They [the United States] are doing it not out of love for Ukraine, but rather because they want to supply Germany with gas themselves. Liquefied gas is worse in quality and more expensive than the gas supplied via pipelines," Schroeder said.

Berlin should not allow Washington to determine its trade partners, he added. "Iran, China, Russia. If this continues, we will not be allowed to have economic relations with anybody. This is unacceptable for a country that depends on exports, like Germany. With all due respect and considering our friendship, we need to tell Americans this," Schroeder noted.

The former chancellor said he is not a politician with an anti-US position. "However, my efforts in foreign policy were aimed at achieveing relative independence from the United States and maintaining it," he concluded.

The German authorities have repeatedly said that they consider the Nord Stream 2 to be an economic project. However, it is important for Berlin that Ukraine maintains its status as a transit country after the second line of Nord Stream 2 starts operating.