Senator Tsekov: Vitrenko should deal with Naftogaz and stop getting involved in politics Sergei Tsekov called the statements of Yuri Vitrenko too loud for the person who holds the post of the head of the Naftogaz company. Declaring that Nord Stream 2 will pose a threat to world security and calling on Washington to impose sanctions are not questions of his level, the Russian politician said in an interview with Lenta.ru.
The head of the Naftogaz company, Yuriy Vitrenko, in an interview with Reuters, assessed the losses of Ukraine in the event of the launch of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline. According to him, Kiev will lose about two billion dollars annually.
“Ukraine will lose about two billion dollars a year if Nord Stream 2 is launched, which is equivalent to about one and a half percent of the country's GDP,” – Vitrenko stressed, adding that the country does not lose hope of blocking the Russian project.
The head of Naftogaz also believes that the pipeline poses a threat to world security, so he expects that the US Congress will impose further sanctions on the operator Nord Stream 2 AG. According to him, Washington somehow understands that “Russia is using gas as a weapon, that it is not playing by the rules.”
Who is he?
Tsekov said that Vitrenko's statements demonstrate Ukraine's desire to maintain a dependent position. He stressed that this “offended approach” is gradually becoming boring. It was this position of Ukraine – endless attacks on Russia and a simultaneous desire to profit from it – that led Moscow to find other ways of gas transit to Europe, Tsekov explained.
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Vitrenko's words about the threat to world security from Nord Stream 2 pissed off the Russian senator. “Who is Vitrenko to make such statements? He is the head of Naftogaz and must think about his company. Why does he meddle in political issues and give political assessments? Let him work to get Russian gas supplies through Ukraine. Does he really think we can be frightened by such threats? Problems can be created for the transit of gas to Europe and the EU will be left without gas unless. In the end, they find out that they will not receive our gas at all. Because, to be honest, they are already crossing all the boundaries of reason, “Tsekov said.
He added that this situation arouses violent emotions in him, but at the same time admired the restraint of Russian President Vladimir Putin. “The country's leadership has iron nerves and patience. I can still speak out sharply somewhere, but the management has impeccable self-control. If Ukraine builds normal relations with Russia, it will have both gas and supplies through them to Europe. Otherwise, they will agree, “the senator concluded.
Earlier it became known that Naftogaz would take part in the certification of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline. This decision was made by the German regulator. According to the head of the Ukrainian company, Naftogaz is ready to provide Germany with information about the impossibility of certification of the gas pipeline in the near future.
The German Energy Ministry has already issued an opinion on Nord Stream-2. The department came to the conclusion that the gas pipeline does not threaten the security of the EU's energy supply. Now the decision is to be made by the German Federal Network Agency, which will analyze the compliance of Nord Stream 2 with EU legal norms. The conclusion must be published by January 8, 2022. Then it will be sent to the European Commission, which will have another two months to respond.