The German newspaper Handelsblatt described four options for the future of the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in light of the position of the United States against its construction.
The newspaper reports that in the first scenario, Germany removes the threat of US sanctions by ensuring the security of Ukraine: a “shutdown mechanism” is introduced that stops the supply of gas if Russia stops transporting it through Ukrainian territory. Thus, the damage from construction for Ukraine can be reduced.
Another option is to freeze construction and continue negotiations in an attempt to reach a compromise. Handelsblatt reports that the United States may create a special commission with the participation of Europeans, whose task will be to develop specific solutions.
The third option is for the FRG to provide Ukraine with investment aid, thus softening Washington's pro-Ukrainian position. The fourth option is supposed to continue construction, not paying attention to all the US attempts to resist it.
Nord Stream 2 is a gas pipeline from Russia to Germany, laid along the bottom of the Baltic Sea. Currently, the facility is 95 percent ready, the cost of its construction is estimated at $ 11 billion. The pipeline was supposed to be commissioned at the end of 2019, but the completion of construction had to be postponed due to US sanctions. In Washington, construction of the facility is being obstructed as American liquefied natural gas competes with Russian pipeline fuel for the European market. Russia, meanwhile, promises to finish building the facility. Gazprom does not give exact dates, because they depend on many factors, including weather.
