Ukraine’s Gas TSO, Energy Ministry call on European Parliament to support Nord Stream 1 shutdown

Gas TSO of Ukraine and the Energy Ministry have proposed that the members of the European Parliament support the suspension of Russian gas transit via the Nord Stream 1 pipe.

The news was shared by the Gas TSO press service, according to Ukrinform.

In order to protect the Ukrainian gas transmission infrastructure from large-scale destruction by the Russian occupiers and to further meet the humanitarian needs of the population of Ukraine, Deputy Energy Minister Farid Safarov and Gas TSO of Ukraine LCC CEO Sergiy Makogon appealed to MEPs to support the suspension of gas transit through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, according to the statement.

In an address to MEPs, Gas TSO of Ukraine CEO and a representative of the Ministry of Energy stressed the importance of the Ukrainian gas transmission system, which has a dual function, i.e. providing gas transit to the EU and transmission to household consumers for humanitarian use (heating and cooking).

According to them, maintaining transit through Ukraine until the a full embargo on Russian gas is introduced protects Ukraine's gas transmission infrastructure from deliberate destruction. And continued transit along the Ukrainian route is possible in the event of blocking alternative gas supply routes to Europe – limiting the use of Nord Stream 1.

The Gas TSO chief also drew the attention of MEPs to the need to protect not only Ukrainian but also European consumers, as given the recent transit through Ukraine, Russia is trying to prevent the filling of underground gas storage facilities in Europe in preparation for the heating season.

"With one strong-willed decision, Europe can prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Ukraine and the destruction of Ukraine's gas transmission infrastructure, while weakening Russia's monopoly position on the EU gas market. If we all do not want to depend on Russian gas, we must make Russia dependent on us," the company added.

Russia's gas monopoly, Gazprom, has earlier cut natural gas supplies to Germany by about 60 percent in the past two days. The Russian company claims that such a decision was allegedly made due to the delay in transmission due to sanctions imposed on Russia as regards supplies of key equipment for the operation of the Nord Stream gas pipeline.

In turn, the German energy regulator decried the excuse. Germany believes that Gazprom's decision to cut natural gas supplies to Europe through the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline was a political step, aimed at shaking the market and pumping up prices.