Foreign minister: Ukraine guarantees gas supplies to Europe via its GTS

 “You, Germans, now build the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea to make gas supplies, which have been provided through Ukraine thus far, more independent. But remember: Russia remains a source of gas; if the Russians no longer wanted to supply gas, the Baltic Sea pipelines would immediately become empty. And in Ukraine we would still have full gas storage facilities, and we guarantee gas supplies via our pipelines,” Foreign Minister of Ukraine Vadym Prystaiko said in an interview with RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND).

Prystaiko also expressed surprise that fewer people in Germany welcome the extension of sanctions against Russia as the aggressor state.

If German entrepreneurs are looking for alternatives to the Russian market, Ukraine welcomes them, the Foreign Minister added, stressing that Ukraine is open to imports and investments. The Ukrainian economy, which was deeply intertwined with Russia's, now with an effort, though successfully, re-orients itself to EU and Chinese markets.

Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline was expected to be launched before the end of 2019. In early December, the operator acknowledged that the construction could not be completed in due time and estimated a delay of several months.

On December 20, US President Donald Trump signed a defense spending bill that foresees sanctions on Russia's Nord Stream 2 and Turkish Stream pipelines.

Afterwards, Swiss-Dutch company Allseas said it had suspended its pipe-laying activities in the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline.

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