Vitrenko: German Ministry for Economic Affairs did not consult Ukraine about Nord Stream 2 certification

Naftogaz CEO Yuriy Vitrenko says that the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy did not consult Ukraine about certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

"The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy issued an official conclusion to the German regulator that the certification of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline operator does not threaten the security of gas supply to Germany and other European Union Member States," Vitrenko posted on Facebook.

He noted that the Ministry specified the countries with which the relevant consultations had been held and there was no Ukraine among them.

Naftogaz CEO added that Ukraine was one of the main countries to transit gas to the European Union.

“We can tell how the certification of Nord Stream 2, under the current conditions, i.e., without real separation of ownership from Gazprom, without real access of third parties to export pipelines from Russia to the EU, poses a critical threat to the security of gas supplies to Germany and other EU countries,” Vitrenko said.

Naftogaz CEO also highlighted how Gazprom’s actions created a critical situation for the security of gas supplies in 2009, 2014, and 2018.

“Gazprom already shows this to the whole of Europe, artificially limiting supplies. For those who still want to acknowledge the artificiality of these restrictions, outright blackmail, the use of gas as a weapon, Putin publicly declares that additional gas volumes will be provided after Nord Stream 2 is allowed to be launched,” Naftogaz CEO stressed.

When Nord Stream 2 is commissioned, Putin will be able to stop physical transit through Ukraine, Vitrenko added. Then Germany and other EU countries will become critically dependent on gas supplies through Nord Stream 2. Unlike the Ukrainian gas transmission system, Nord Stream 2 has no reserve capacity and storage facilities.

On October 20, the Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine submitted an application to Germany's energy regulator, the Bundesnetzagentur, to participate in the certification of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline operator.

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