GORKI, January 27. /TASS/. Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev is one-hundred-percent confident that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will be put into operation because it is in the interests of European consumers to launch it as soon as possible. He said this in an interview with Russian media outlets, including TASS.
"It is certainly completed and ready for operation, everything is absolutely ready there. Will it be put into operation? Let me express my opinion. Of course, I can be wrong too, but I am 100% sure that it will be put into operation. Simply because miracles do not happen. If there is an economic need, it must be met," he insisted.
Medvedev stressed that occasionally gas costs 2,000 euro on the spot market.
"Five or ten years ago no one could have imagined this at all. This is an enormous amount of money! But if gas is worth that kind of money, well, what is there to talk about? I think that they should do it (launch the Nord Stream 2 pipeline - TASS) as soon as possible," he maintained.
Medvedev noted that Nord Stream 2 would still be obstructed and not necessarily for political reasons.
"This is commerce, economics. You remember it very well that the problems with Nord Stream emerged not because of Ukraine or any complications with the United States of America, but because the Americans, and first of all the Trump administration, back then decided that Russians have nothing to do on the European market and they [the US] need to supply their liquefied natural gas to the European market. This is how it all started, actually," he pointed out.
"The economy of Europe is coming to halt - and? Should they [the EU] say:" No, we will block Nord Stream to spite the Russians, because they behave badly, and let our taxpayers dig into their pockets for this policy?" Well, let them (politicians - TASS) ask them (the taxpayers - TASS) if they are ready to pay that much for gas.
That’s it. If they are ready to pay for their political decisions with their wallet, with the money of their taxpayers, their citizens, then let them do it, but no rational politician, pragmatic politician, especially in Germany, will do this," Medvedev insisted.
He added that there are countries that are not interested in this project purely for economic reasons, and their position will be taken into account.
Medvedev spotlighted the fact that despite the desire of the Americans to elbow Russia out of the European gas market, he "has no illusions about the feasibility and likelihood of putting Nord Stream 2 into operation."
"I'm sure it should be done," he reiterated.
But the politician found it difficult to say when this might happen.
"I don’t know. There are enough geniuses out there, and a monkey wrench could always be thrown into the works, that’s also true. I’m not saying that they will definitely do it [launch the pipeline]by a certain date. But, let me stress it that in terms of economic logic, the interests of their own citizens, including voters in Germany and other countries, this must be done as soon as possible," he explained.