Ukrainian Lawmakers Say Risks From US-German Deal On Nord Stream 2 Outweigh Benefits

KIEV (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd July, 2021) The benefits for Kiev in the US-German deal on Nord Stream 2 do not offset the risks the project brings to Ukraine and the EU, Ukraine's Voice party said on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Germany and the United States struck a deal to allow the completion of the pipeline. Berlin, the main beneficiary of the project, pledges to take all necessary action, including sanctions, to prevent Russia from using Nord Stream "as a weapon." The agreement also envisages measures of support for Ukraine, such as a $1 billion green fund to promote renewable energy there and 60 million euro ($71 million) package from Germany to support energy security in the eastern European country. The two countries also commit to helping Kiev negotiate an extension of its gas transit fee agreement with Moscow.

"Negligible and minor benefits from this deal, which are financial compensation to Ukraine, short-term economic profits for Germany, and pledges to impose sanctions on Russia in case of aggression, in no way offset those risks to Ukraine and Europe that the project holds," the party wrote on Facebook.

The US-German deal puts the EU energy independence at risk and threatens the economic and energy security of Ukraine, according to Voice.

"We urge our allies, the US and the EU, to take into account real strategic threats that the Nord Stream 2 project holds for Europe. The project must be stopped, and its launch should be blocked ... We call on the president and the government to focus on the energy security of the country, guarantee an independent corporate management in state energy companies, and actively adopt European standards of energy efficiency," the statement read.

The Nord Stream 2 project, which aims to lay a 745-mile-long offshore twin pipeline from Russia to Germany, is currently on its final stretch. The Nord Stream 2 AG operator is planning to finish construction on the project by late August.