MOSCOW, January 21. /TASS/. Sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 project and its stoppage can lead to a steady decline in Russian gas supplies to Europe and can cause volatility on the gas market again, Senior Director at Fitch Ratings Dmitry Marinchenko told TASS.

"Project participants that provided debt financing and gas buyers are international companies. In case of introduction of sanctions hindering gas pipeline operation, they will have to observe them," Marinchenko said.

"However, this is the formal side of the case. The informal is that the project stoppage can lead to a steady decline in supplies from Russia if Gazprom does not want to increase transit via Ukraine, and this will result in stable growth of gas prices. Foreign buyers of Russian gas can lose from that," the expert said.

Marinchenko, at the same time, expects that new sanction rhetoric is nevertheless viewed "as a preventive measure."

"Much will depend on whether it is possible in the near term to lower the heat of geopolitical competition, which has aggravated in late month," he added.