Zelensky Said about Disagreements with Berlin on the Nord Stream 2

The positions of Kyiv and Berlin on the implementation of the Nord Stream 2 project are diametrically opposed, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday, June 18. “At the same time, we are grateful for the willingness of Germany to hold mutual dialogue on this difficult issue”, said Zelensky. Earlier in the day, the Ukrainian leader said that the Nord Stream 2 carries a threat. He also expressed hope that Berlin would help Kyiv to face up to the challenges, gazeta.ru repotrs. Zelensky arrived in Germany on June 18. The day before he visited France, where he met with President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron. Nord Stream 2 is being built from Russia to Germany on the bottom of the Baltic Sea to ensure reliable supplies of natural gas to Europe. It is planned to complete its construction in early 2020. Most European countries support the project and participate in its implementation. Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine and the United States are against this project. Washington has repeatedly called on Europe to abandon Russian gas in favor of “democratic” American liquefied natural gas. Ukraine fears that after the completion of the construction of Nord Stream 2, Russia will have no reason to supply gas through Ukraine. The transit deal between Naftogaz and Gazprom expires at the end of this year. At the same time, the parties have not yet signed a new deal, although Moscow noted that it is ready to maintain transit through Ukraine if Kyiv agrees to equal and mutually beneficial conditions. Izvestia