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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj hopes that Chancellor Angela Merkel will give him “guarantees” for Russian gas transit charges to Europe during her visit on Sunday.
Merkel is campaigning for the opening of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea, which threatens a main source of income for Ukraine.
What does Zelenskyi want?
Zelenskyi told the Funke Media Group newspapers that he wanted “guarantees” for his country, “that Russia will promise a minimum amount of gas through the Ukrainian pipelines,” despite the completion of Nord Stream 2 last week.
Merkel met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday and discussed various topics, including the new Baltic Sea pipeline.
“I hope Merkel will come to an agreement with Putin before she lands in Kiev,” said Zelenskyi.
Before Merkel’s visit on Sunday, the Ukrainian president said he was “more concerned about countable results – even if they are manageable”.
Ukraine will lose $ 2 billion in tax revenue on gas currently flowing through the country from Russia to Europe with the commissioning of Nord Stream.
What is on the table?
During Merkel’s Moscow visit, Putin said Russia was ready to send gas via Ukraine even after the current agreement ended in 2024.
However, Putin said Moscow must first assess the level of demand for its fossil fuel.
The Russian President said: “We cannot conclude a transit contract if we do not have supply contracts with our consumers in Europe.
“We need to get an answer from our European partners on how much they want to buy,” he added.
The Nord Stream 2 situation could also put pressure on Ukrainian security concerns as Russia pushes for more leverage over its NATO partner.
US President Joe Biden warned Merkel during her visit to the White House last July that the Nord Stream 2 project could harm Eastern Europe’s strategic ally.
kb / mm (AFP, Reuters)
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