Expert: Europe will freeze without an urgent launch of Nord Stream-2

First Deputy head of the International Committee of the Federation Council Vladimir Dzhabarov believes that the Nord Stream-2 project should be put into operation before the end of the year, otherwise Europe will freeze. It is noted that at the moment the filling of the first line of the gas pipeline is underway.

Dzhabarov stressed that the situation in the European gas market with high fuel prices was primarily due to the United States. As you know, the United States actively lobbied for the supply of its liquefied gas to Europeans, but eventually sent it to Southeast Asia, where prices were higher and there was a good market.

Speaking about the current situation in Ukraine, the senator noted that Russia is not going to abandon the transit of gas through Ukrainian territory, despite the «very bad» relations with the Ukrainian authorities. Dzhabarov also added that historically, Ukraine got the pipeline system as a gift from the Soviet Union, but no one is going to invest in its reconstruction.

According to him, sooner or later Europe will face a choice: either stable gas supplies through the Nord Stream projects, or investments in the gas transportation system of Ukraine.