Nord Stream 2 pipeline is not in line with European law, says Naftogaz chairman Yuriy Vitrenko in his interview for a Ukrainian TV station.

‘Putin is nervous as he understands that blackmail he has used  all over Europe is not working. He will fail to have Nord Stream 2 launched even if its construction work is complete,’ argued Naftogaz CEO.

He also complained about reduced transit gas flows that come as a clear sign Russia is failing at its own pledge of keeping gas supplies interrupted.

‘Last year, 65bcm were booked for Russian gas transit via the Ukrainian territory, this year it is 40bcm. It is 1.5 less. In case with daily transit flows they have decrease twofold.  It was 170 mcm start of the year, and currently it is about 80 mcm’.

What’s at stake for Ukraine

Kyiv is opposed to the new Russian pipeline citing energy security concerned. Nord Stream can also put a serious strain on Ukrainian economy with Russian gas pipelines being re-routed.

In 2017, Mari Yovanovich, then US ambassador to Ukraine, argued Nord Stream 2 would cause collapse of Ukraine’s economy with about 3% wiped off the country’s GDP due to lost transit gas revenues.

Back then, Arseniy Yatsenuk, then Ukrainian prime-minister, claimed the country was set to lose about $2 billion yearly.