The massing of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine has several purposes. Without diminishing the possible risks of further invasion, one should not underestimate the storyline of Nord Stream 2, which Putin is pursuing in a new scenario of aggression against Ukraine. Energy is no less an effective weapon in Putin’s arsenal than tanks.
It is widely believed that Nord Stream 2 is a done deal. In fact, it is a misconception that only benefits Gazprom, which uses this narrative to try to impose its rules on doing politics and business in the world.
Yes, the Russian pipeline is constructed. However, first and foremost, it does not comply with European rules. Secondly, Russia is openly using gas as a geopolitical weapon in Europe. That is why the democratic world has to use all the necessary legal and political grounds to oppose this aggressive Russian project.
Berlin, Brussels and Washington are the three capitals that currently have the legal and political leverage to stop Russia’s aggressive energy policy in Ukraine and Europe.
The Naftogaz team visited Washington last week. Our national company systematically maintains a dialogue with representatives of both parties in Congress to keep the legislature of the U.S., Ukraine’s strategic ally, informed of developments on the energy front. Currently, against the background of increasing Russia’s military presence on Ukraine’s borders, this issue is of particular interest to American lawmakers.
Our visit coincided with a vote in Congress on the US defense budget. Unfortunately, our sanctions against Nord Stream 2 were not included in it. The chances of a positive vote were very high, but opponents of the sanctions were actually lucky, as the amendment against Nord Stream 2 fell hostage to other processes not related to support for Ukraine. However, this development did not stop our efforts.
After our visit, more than 20 congressmen from both parties addressed an official letter to the President Joe Biden urging him not only to provide military assistance to Ukraine, but also to immediately impose sanctions against Nord Stream AG and economic sanctions against Russia. The congressmen stressed that Russia had provoked an energy crisis in Europe to speed up the launch of Nord Stream 2 and undermine democratic institutions.
For its part, Congress has expressed strong bipartisan support for European energy security and its intention to protect Central and Eastern Europe from Russian manipulation at the legislative level.
Also on,
the Senate registered new sanctions against Nord Stream 2 under the bill The Guard Act - Guaranteeing Ukraine’s Autonomy by Reinforcing its Defense Act.
This bill was co-sponsored by Senators Risch, Cornyn, Toomey, Barrasso, Inhofe, Rubio, and Cotton.
The document contains measures to deter Putin from aggression against Ukraine. In particular, the US lawmakers are proposing four key measures.
The first is to provide $450 million in Foreign Military Financing for Ukraine and to set aside $100 million for critical capabilities like air defense and anti-ship missiles that requires the State Department and Department of Defense to coordinate an international effort with our allies to provide key systems and capabilities to Ukraine, particularly those compatible with Ukraine’s current equipment and ammunition inventory.
The second is to increase funding for international military education and training for Ukrainian officers, and to strengthen cooperation between our military and that of the U.S.
The third is to tighten the waiver on the existing limitation on U.S.-Russia military cooperation until Russia ceases its occupation of Ukrainian territory.
The fourth way to prevent the Kremlin’s aggression, which the authors of the bill insist on, is to impose immediate sanctions on Nord Stream 2 AG, the company responsible for Putin’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which is deliberately designed to weaken and isolate Ukraine, increase Europe’s dependence on Russian energy, and undermine U.S. allies and partners throughout Europe.
We expect the Guaranteeing Ukraine’s Autonomy by Reinforcing its Defense Act to be passed by both chambers of the US Congress and signed by President Biden. Naftogaz as a national company will make every effort to see to it.
Thanks to a great collaborative effort, we have already managed to postpone the completion of this pipeline for more than a year. And, even though it’s now completed, it is still not operational. This is also the result of our cooperation with our American and European partners.
Naftogaz has joined the procedure for the certification of the Nord Stream 2 operator, which, by the way, is now also suspended. In addition, we have a plan for further legal steps to prevent the launch of this Russian gas pipeline, which Putin intends to continue to use to blackmail and put pressure on both European consumers and politicians.
Svitlana Zalishchuk, Advisor to the CEO of Naftogaz, Member of Parliament, 2014-2019
