- Is it possible to stop the project? Or the Nord Stream 2 is a fact?
- No, not a fact yet. It is possible to stop it. But if it cannot be stopped, it will not be exploited for full project capacity, as Gazprom wants.
The European Commission is busy with the regulations on this project, that is, it tries to put in the legal field of the Third Energy Package.Then the gas pipeline project can be used only for half the capacity.
There is still a chance to stop Gazprom. And here the last word will be in Washington. We are now witnessing escalation of a specific dialogue between Washington and Brussels, and especially between Washington and Berlin. The American administration unequivocally states that European companies will be subject to sanctions, as stipulated by law, whichTrump signed on August 2, 2017 on strengthening the sanctions regime against Russia, Iran and North Korea, where the separate article concerns "Nord Stream 2".
- What can Russia do to motivate companies to work with Gazprom?
- It has already done this and hopes that the financial factor will work. This applies to a consortium of those partner companies that are officially involved from the European side.
Gazprom has created a very tempting proposition: no matter what volume of gas will be pumped through the Nord Stream-2 - 55 billion cubic meters per year, 20 billion cubic meters, zero cubic meters, the shareholders of the project will receive their dividends as if the gas pipeline constantly pumps 55 billion cubic meters annually for at least 30 years.
Another mechanism is what we figuratively call parallel exports of gas and corruption. We see how Gazprom's lobby operates effectively in Europe. Just the other day, the European Commission will close the investigation against Gazprom, which was initiated in 2011. According to the results of this investigation, Gazprom was accused of abusing its dominant position on the markets of Central European countries, it was threatened with a fine of up to $ 10 billion or 10% of annualincome.
But the European Commission finally forgive the sins of Gazprom, as if there is some agreement. It smells of corruption, which the opponents of the "Nord Stream-2" pay attention to.
- The United States has been actively involved in the fight against Nord Stream-2, Russia explains it as lobbying for liquefied gas in Europe. What is the reason for such a US reaction?
- The Americans systematically opposed it. European dependence on Russian energy resources has not arisen and was not formed immediately, but now it is stronger.
The United States has a commercial interest in exporting liquefied natural gas, but they are ready to compete on a commercial basis. Now the European market does not look so attractive to US liquefied gas, but the situation is changing rapidly.
The argument that the US wants to sell its expensive gas and oust the cheap Russian is a typical stamp of Russian propaganda, and the Germans are happy to repeat it. But this contradicts the basics of a market economy. Europeans, on the contrary, should attract as much gas as possible to their market, because the higher the offer, the lower the price.
